


A Chance at Life

by Rolling_girl27



Category: Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Forced Marriage, M/M, Mech Preg, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, Transformer Sparklings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-09-28 07:16:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 47,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10079150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rolling_girl27/pseuds/Rolling_girl27
Summary: (Sequel to "Under the Beast's Claws")After being threatened by the Decepticon leader, Optimus Prime accepts to bond with Megatron in exchange of peace between Autobots and Decepticons.Now, he has to face the challenges of being the warlord's consort while raising his sparklings to give them the best chance at life.





	1. A Life not Envisioned

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to part II of this story!
> 
> I'm really glad to see you all again and I hope that you enjoy this sequel as much as the first part (^w^)
> 
> Also, I changed a little my time scale; instead of 'groon' I'll be using 'mega-cycle' as an equivalent to an hour.
> 
> Enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment!  
> -Rolling_girl27

_"Iacon has been busy making preparations for the upcoming Decepticons' arrival. Militar and Civil Protection forces have been gathered all over the city to ensure all Autobots' safety, since it's the first time Cybertron receives the Decepticons for 'friendly' political matters-"_

_"Just a deca-cycle ago, the Magnus invited Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, to unite in a pacific meeting in order to discuss a political arrangement. Many citizens have started protesting, claiming that it could be a dangerous-"_

_"Just what was the Magnus thinking? Clearly, the Decepticons come with no other intent than to attack and destroy! Didn't he think that maybe, I don't know, they're just coming to burn Iacon down?! This is-"_

A sudden fritzing sound and the holo-vid screen was turned off.

"Those reporters sure love to talk trash about the Magnus' decisions." Ratchet mumbled, throwing the screen's remote to the other side of the couch. "It looks like it's the only thing they talk about on Cybertron's air broadcast."

"Can't they stop complaining for a moment? I mean, give it a break, Primus! It's not much of a big deal!" Bumblebee commented out loud, turning to look at everyone else in the room when they all fell silent. "...right?"

"Perhaps, but we must understand their distress." Prowl calmly observed, standing behind the couch with his arms folded over his chest. "The only thing the Decepticons have done during all these stellar-cycles is to destroy and kill Autobots, of course they would be afraid."

"Yeah but, surely they know about that peace-thingy Megatron agreed to?" Bulkhead pondered, taking a sip of his large energon cube.

Prowl shrugged. "I'm not sure. If they knew about it, I believe they all would be celebrating instead of protesting."

"Yeah, but I don't think they're completely clueless either. If they didn't know that Megatron would be coming without further notice or intervention from the Magnus, they all would freak out and claim it was an invasion." Ratchet observed.

The room fell dead silent for a couple of nano-kliks.

"Do you... Do you think it'll be too long before... Megatron... arrives?" Bumblebee asked carefully, trying not to use any words or expressions that could trigger their leader's bad memories.

Since the Magnus noticed them that he had successfully arranged a meeting with the Decepticon leader, Optimus had been acting strange. He shut himself from the others, he was unusually quiet and Ratchet more than once registered high energon pressure due to constant stress.

Well, who could blame him, he practically sold himself in exchange for peace between the two factions. It was something not easy at all to process, but luckily, the Decepticon tyrant claimed that it would take a deca-cycle or two for him to reach Cybertron. That way he -and the rest of his team- had time to prepare for the upcoming events, both physically and mentally.

Speaking of, Ratchet turned to look at the young Prime, who was sitting silently on the table, resting his chin on his joined servos and wearing an unreadable expression with his optics locked on a random spot.

"Prime, are you ok?" The medic asked carefully. He knew that if he used a loud tone it would only distress his systems more and it would get worse.

The Prime remained unresponsive, nervously tapping his pede on the floor beneath him. "Prime."

The young mech finally snapped out of his thoughts, blinking his optics a little before turning to the medic. "W-What?"

"I asked if you were okay." Ratchet wore a pained and concerned expression. It was hard for him not to worry, even more when he knew that high levels of stress could cause damage both on the kid and his sparklings.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Optimus replied softly, stretching his arms lightly to the sides. "I'm just... tired, I didn't get enough recharge last night."

"Wanna take a nap, bossbot?" Bumblebee asked, peeking over the edge of the couch. "You can use my berth if you want!"

Optimus couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Bumblebee. But I think I'm just going to take an energizing can or two."

"Don't drink too much of that, it's not good for the sparklings." Ratchet reminded, taking another sip of his own cube afterwards.

The Prime nodded and walked down the hall to where their supplies storage was, leaving the other four 'bots alone in the living room. They all sighed sadly as the air grew heavy.

"I don't like to see him like this" Bulkhead whimpered. "I miss those days where he would give us those pep talks while we repaired space-bridges, or when we fought those human criminals back on Earth."

"I sometimes miss his 'motivational' speeches." Bumblebee said bitterly. "They didn't work slag, at least not on me, but it just made everything feel so normal."

"He has been through so much that his systems can't cope with all of that" Prowl observed. "We're lucky he hasn't fallen in a depression."

"But he might, if he keeps dwelling on his own thoughts for that long." Ratchet spat. He knew it was something harsh to say, especially for the young 'bots, but it was a reality they had to face. "We need to keep him occupied on other things before he loses himself."

"I've tried, but he just doesn't want to!" The yellow minibot protested, raising his voice a little. "I've asked him to take a walk with me, or watch a projection, or even laugh at stupid things other 'bots said on the streets, but he always tells me he's 'busy' or that he's 'not in the mood'" he gestured two quotation marks with his fingers.

"Bumblebee, be patient. The emotional trauma he's experienced is quite heavy, and we can't just force him to have fun and get over it." Prowl's tone was soft, choosing the right words as to not stress the minibot more than he needed. He knew he could get pretty emotional sometimes.

"Then... Can't we just talk about it with him?" Bulkhead suggested, innocently. "Prowl, when Sari got sad because she got kicked out of her home and Mr. Sumdac was captured, you said that she'd tell us what she needed if we listened!"

"It's different, Bulkhead" Prowl pinched the bridge of his olfaction sensor, "We can't just force Prime to tell us everything. It's a very sensitive topic, and it doesn't help that everywhere he looks on the media there's a reminder of the future he was _forced_ to accept."

All the Autobots in the room remained silent, staring at the cyber-ninja with a mixture of sadness, confusion and helplessness.

They didn't like how things were turning out. They had tried to help Optimus get out of the horrible nightmare he had been living in, and just before they could manage that, the Decepticon leader called and _threatened_ them -no, Optimus specifically- to destroy Cybertron and all its Autobot-controlled colonies if he refused to return to the warlord's clutches.

And Optimus, being the humble and big-sparked hero he was, accepted to bond with him in exchange of peace. He gave his life away just to safe a thousand others' lives, even when he didn't know them, just because it was in his spark to do the right thing.

Of course, Ultra Magnus had helped to establish a few requirements in order for Optimus not to be abused like in the past, and a meeting with the Council had been the best proof of that. They all agreed to these terms and established the date of the signature of a peace treaty before they bonded, which would practically 'seal the deal' permanently.

They were all proud of Optimus' sacrifice, but his team wasn't.

They could practically see the gloomy aura that surrounded him almost all the time, the drag of his pedes when he walked and the faint glow of his optics that represented nothing more than sadness. They tried to make him come around, but the stubborn mech refused to come out from his bubble.

It was as if his kind and strong personality was slowly being drained from him, only to leave an empty shell of what the Prime had once been.

The air in the room grew unbearably heavy to the point that everyone could feel a knot in their intakes. They didn't know what to say or do, especially to Optimus, who spent most of his time recharging or simply lying on his berth lost in his thoughts. He always looked tired, and it wasn't only due to the carrying programming.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll talk to him." Ratchet sighed, finally breaking the silence. Gripping the sides of the couch he forced his old frame to stand up, a few metal discs popping and screeching.

The youngsters nodded eagerly, while Prowl just nodded once.

"Very well. Just don't disturb us," he gave Bumblebee a stern look, "wouldn't want for him to think we're planning something against him. We're his only source of protection and comfort, don't forget that. If he sees us down, he'll be even worse."

Everyone nodded again, directing to their own personal activities. Bumblebee and Bulkhead turned on their gaming console, Prowl retired to his quarters to meditate while Ratchet walked towards the young leader's berthroom with a sigh.

* * *

Megatron grinned as he gazed out of the large glass at the front of his ship, watching as the various stars and small asteroid fragments flew past them as they travelled closer and closer to their destiny.

He was more than happy to know he'd get his little toy back soon. He had played his cards well, _very_ well, good enough to convince both the Magnus and that little Autobot to make a 'deal'.

 _Those Autobots and their stupid code_ , he thought.

Despite all the strings he had to pull, he was not unhappy with his outcome, not really. Sure, he had agreed to sign a peace treaty and so he wouldn't be able to kill any more Autobots with his own servos, but he could live with that as long as he had his sparklings and his precious pet back.

After all those years of war, it sounded like a good idea indeed to finally settle down and grow a family. He wasn't that young anymore, and even if he was strong and still had a long road ahead, it didn't hurt to take precautions and produce a couple heirs that could inherit his throne after he joined the Allspark.

And he'd finally accomplish that secret wish he had had for a long time... Finally, he'd have some creations of his own, sparklings from his progeny that he could raise and mould into strong Decepticon warriors... He just hoped that they were mechlings.

He didn't despise femmes, or at least not too much, but of course a mech was his priority since they tended to be bigger and have stronger armor, while femmes were delicate and not usually manufactured for combat. He didn't mind having a femme though, at least he'd have a bitlet to raise like he had always wanted.

Not to mention that he'd have their pretty carrier back... The thought alone was enough to revv his engines and rise his temperature just slightly.

That pretty Autobot... so defiant as to escape from him yet with a soft spark to sacrifice himself for his people. He couldn't wait to have him back in his berth, to ravish him over and over until he can't move. He'd take his payback for starting a fire inside him impossible to put out, to leave him needy and aching when he dared to escape and for creating an unhealthy and constant desire for his body.

He had to be careful now though, one wrong move and the little Autobot would go crying to the Magnus and all the hard work he'd done to take what was rightfully his back would go down the drain.

Ultra Magnus was going serious with this one. _"Lay a servo on him and you can forget about the peace treaty and the custody of Optimus Prime and his creations"_ , he had said. Funny, he hadn't showed that concern for the other 'bots his mechs used to relieve some stress back in the Great War...

Bah, he couldn't care less. The important thing now was that he'd have his little pet and his sparklings back and no one would be able to take them away from him... Again.

Just then he heard heavy pedesteps approaching before a loud 'clang' resonated in the room. "Lord Megatron, I have come before you to announce that we are just two solar-cycles away from reaching our destination. Should I prepare the troops, oh my glorious leader?"

"No, Lungut." Megatron said somewhat harshly, turning around to face the green and purple mech. "I am being serious with this one. We won't attack as long as they don't attack us first."

The bomb plane looked a little distraught. His leader _never_ escaped the chance to fight! "But, Lord Megatron, this could be your _only_ chance to conquer Cybertron and raise your empire! The Autobots have lowered their guard, we should-"

"I said _no_ , Lugnut." the warlord interrupted more loudly this time. "I have worked hard to convince those Autobots to give me back my possessions, and I won't risk it just to fulfill your lust for battle." He looked down at his minion with dark red optics. "There'll be plenty of civil wars for you to enjoy, I'm sure of it. But for now, violence is _not_ an option."

Megatron leaned down to the kneeling Decepticon and said lowly, "If you _dare_ to lay a hand on a _single_  Autobot without my authorization, you will be _very_ lucky if I just snuff your sparks out with my bare servos. Understood?"

Lugnut didn't waste a single nano-klik in standing upright and placing a servo over his chest. "Of course, master. Your wish is my command."

Megatron nodded firmly. "Good. Now, tell that to the other soldiers. I don't want any... _incidents_ happening when we arrive. At least not until I have settled completely."

The bomb plane saluted courtly before retiring from the room, his heavy pedesteps resonating until he was far into the ship, heading to the Control Room to give some news through the ship's internal broadcast.

_"Attention, Decepticons. The Nemesis' arrival to Cybertron is due in two solar-cycles. Do not prepare yourselves for battle. You are not to harm any Autobots either, otherwise, attend the consequences; Lord Megatron's orders. I repeat-"_

Megatron smirked to himself. This was just the start of a life he hadn't envisioned for himself, but he wasn't unhappy to have it either.

Oh, but how _satisfying_  it would be.


	2. The Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your awesome comments on the first chapter! \\(^0^)/~♡
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Rolling_girl27

The air was filled with the distressed and impresssed voices of the Autobot citizens upon seeing the gigantic Decepticon warship. Media 'bots were reporting everything they say and there were small camera drones flying about, taking as many pictures as they could of the mighty Decepticon warlord and his three most dangerous soldiers.

Almost all the city of Iacon had gathered to prescence their 'guests' arrival, some of them jeering and some of them gasping in awe. Camera flashes flashed everywhere and the enforcers kept a good optic on the much bigger warframes, almost following them at gunpoint.

Starscream raised a lip plate in disgust just as he descended from the ramp at the ship's entrance, flinching a little from the sudden brightness for he was used to the dark ambience of the Nemesis' interior. Not to mention that the camera flashes were blinding him as well.

Just then a little mechling stepped a little too close to one of the seeker's pedes, as if wanting to touch. Starscream immediately flared his wings aggressively and took a step back. "Back off, you Autobot brat!" He snarled.

The mechling's lower lip trembled before he burst into tears, wailing openly in his spot where everyone could see him. The pink seeker made yet another disgusted sound and rolled his optics, just before a femme stepped in and carried the crying creature in her arms, giving the jet a sharp glare.

"You should be ashamed of yourself! Making a mechling cry when he didn't do anything to you!"

"That brat was about to-" Starscream began retorting before feeling a heavy servo on his shoulder. Turning his helm a little he met his leader's intense disapproving glare. Fear and anger cursed through him before his face formed a snarl and he shook the servo off of him, ignoring the femme and the still-crying mechling as he continued walking through the path the Autobots had set up for them to walk through.

Blitzwing miraculously was pretty calm, just observing his surroundings with an uninterested gaze and flinching every once in a while when a camera flashed him in the optics. Oh, what he wouldn't do to just smash all Autobots around him and cause them some suffering... but he couldn't. Megatron had ordered them not to harm any and he had to do as he said.

Walking past a group of femmes, he noticed how they were giggling excitedly and chit-chatting while giving him some interested glances, and he couldn't decide whether he should feel annoyed or amused.

Going with the latter, he halted right in front of them and knelt down, bending his large arm in front of their excited optics to show the strong protoform underneath the battle-grade armour. All the femmes squealed and gave little jumps of joy.

Unlike the triple-changer, Lugnut wasn't enjoying himself at all. He had to clench his fists tightly to prevent him from smashing anything, and all he could see around him were enemies. If it weren't for his master's orders, he'd already be killing some Autobots with his bare servos.

He glared with his five optics and growled to anyone who dared to approach too close to him, whether it were media 'bots, citizens, or enforcers, some of which loaded their guns at the threatening glare he gave them.

Ultra Magnus was standing at the entrance to the docking bay, waiting to greet the warlord and his soldiers. Jazz and Sentinel Prime were at his sides, and the three of them were... distraught by the Decepticons' behavior. They didn't really think that they'd come in peace.

"Wow, the 'Cons sure love to get attention..." Jazz muttered as he watched how Blitzwing in his Random personality posed for the camera drones.

"They _must_ be planning something against us, putting up a friendly façade just to make us lower our guard so they can attack all Cybertron." Sentinel muttered, narrowing his optics at Starscream, who was still scowling and snarling at everyone.

"We can't be certain." Ultra Magnus started. "But until they make a move against us, we are not to engage violently with them."

The blue and white mech couldn't help but grip his hammer more tightly as Megatron, the infamous leader of the Decepticons, slowly approached him.

The grey tyrant smirked as soon as he was within Magnus' reach and stood tall and proud in front of his sworn enemy. "Ultra Magnus" he greeted. "It's an honour to see you in person."

"I wish I could say the same to you." Ultra Magnus said flatly, narrowing his optics.

Megatron chuckled lowly. "You are so generous for organizing this reception for us."

"Don't feel special for it." The Magnus snapped. "Also, I expect for you to control your mechs around my people."

"Oh, don't worry, Magnus" The grey mech said with a smirk, giving a small glance over his shoulder. Starscream was now standing a few meters behind him, with his arms crossed and looking like he hated everything. Blitzwing was still in his Random mode waving to the crowd of Autobots, being the one behaving the best so far. And Lugnut had already broke out a very heated argument with a large white and blue mech, probably an enforcer.

"I'll keep an optic on them."

The Magnus gave him a death glare with his cold blue optics. "You better."

Just then, a smaller 'bot apprached them and saluted to the Autobot Commander. "Sir! Your shuttle is ready for whenever you desire to leave."

Ultra Magnus nodded once. "Thank you, Headstart." Turning his helm he directed to the Decepticon leader. "Shall we get going and get this over with then, Megatron?"

"As you wish, Commander" The bigger mech said in a mocking tone. He turned around and motioned to his lieutenants. "Decepticons! It's time to go!"

"Um... s-sorry, sir" The mech named Headstart interrupted. "But... due to the shuttle's weight capacity, we prepared a separate shuttle for your soldiers... to travel... in..." his voice decreased in volume as the warlord turned his red gaze on him, making him flinch a little.

Before Megatron could say anything, Ultra Magnus stepped in. "That is fine, Headstart. Dismissed."

Headstart saluted quickly before practically bolting off to somewhere else, trying to avoid the warlord's anger. He couldn't even imagine how it would be like.

"Sir, are you sure that it is safe for those Decepticons travel together and _alone_ on a separate shuttle?" Sentinel Prime asked rather indiscreetly.

Megatron's optics flashed briefly, clearly offended by the comment. He couldn't blame him though, he had the enough power to start an emboscade if he wished to.

"Worry not, Autobot." Megatron said, looking at the Prime. "I have given my soldiers strict orders to not harm any of your kind. But if it makes you feel safer, I will allow you to add an enforcer or two."

"Yes, that would be best." The Prime snapped, glaring up at the bigger mech.

" _I_ will be the one to decide that." Ultra Magnus quickly interrupted, giving Sentinel a stern look. The young 'bot sometimes acted like he was the Supreme aurthority, and he couldn't allow that. Him spending aome time as the acting Magnus proved that he lacked the ability to take good decisions.

They didn't trust the Decepticons enough to let them go unsupervised, but the Magnus supposed he had to give them a little 'freedom' if he didn't want Megatron to feel offended and possibly decide to attack.

So instead of ordering more enforcers to get on the shuttle, he asked to have the security cameras online and to increase the internal defence systems.

With all that set, the Autobots and Decepticons walked further inside the docking bay, coming to a halt where the first shuttle resided, its gates open and ready to launch.

Ultra Magnus stepped inside first, followed by Megatron and then Jazz with Sentinel. It was very spacious, obviously designed for large models. It was nicely decorated as well, with golden details and a huge window, with soft and comfy plush seats. There even was a small energon dispenser and a holo-vid screen. Only 'bots like the Magnus could afford these kind of luxuries.

Next to that shuttle was another similar one, about the same size to fit the three Decepticons. It was less fancier than the one where the Magnus and Megatron would travel in, but it was comfortable nonetheless. There was a large window at the back and the inside was decorated with silver accents. The seats were soft but rather small for the 'bots, but it's not like they could complain.

Or better said, no one would  _care_ about their complaints.

"Aw, are ve leaving already? I vas starting to like zose camera 'bots!" Blitzwing cackled. Starscream rolled his optics and shoved him inside the shuttle. "Just get in already!"

Lugnut's weight made the shuttle shift a little, but it wasn't anything that it couldn't carry. He didn't like the idea of leaving his master surrounded by Autobots, but he didn't seem to be bothered, so he let him be. Besides, who was he to interfere in his Lord's decisions?

Both shuttles' gates closed and began moving forwards through a special rail. They moved slowly at first, but gained speed as they left the docking station and made their way to Fortress Maximus.

Since it was already night when they arrived, the sky was dark but at the same time illuminated with the bright lights of the city, from the ones of the huge corporation towers to the streetlights. The busy sounds of the streets below them were loud enough for them to hear them at the height they were in.

The air was kind of heavy as they travelled in silence, Sentinel glaring at the warlord while Jazz tried to relax himself by looking through the window. Megatron inspected the shuttle with an uninterested gaze, and Ultra Magnus seemed to doze off inside his thoughts.

"So tell me, Ultra Magnus" Megatron spoke up, "where are you hiding my future bondmate?"

"Optimus Prime is not hiding anywhere." Ultra Magnus replied coldy. "He simply didn't want to attend the reception."

The Decepticon narrowed his optics. "When will I be able to see him, then?" His voice had acquired a dark tone.

"You will get the chance to see him the day of your bonding ceremony."

Megatron hummed in apprehension. He didn't like to be kept waiting, but it was no use to fight. If he tried to force anything, the Magnus and his little Prime might back away from what they had agreed to and he couldn't risk losing everything he had worked so hard to obtain.

Well, that evening they were supposed to organize all the documents needed to write a peace treaty, as well as discuss other things like the role Optimus Prime would take once they bonded as well as things regarding to the bonding ceremony itself.

Slowly but surely he'd be getting what he wanted right on the palm of his servo.

* * *

"Ugh, those nasty Autobots are a pain in the aft!" Starscream complained just as he slumped in his seat. During the small walk from their ship to the entrance of the docking bay, he had to scare off three younglings that wanted to touch him, threatened about five media 'bots and swatted three camera drones.

"Zose Autobots vatch us as if ve vere caged mechanimals!" Blitzwing in his Hothead personality snarled, slamming his fist on his thigh. His face suddenly switched to Random. "But at least ze camera drones and media 'bots like us! Voo-hoo!"

"It pains me that our Lord had to take such a weak decision to get what he wanted!" Lugnut exclaimed, his voice full of frustration. "Besides, that Autobot is not worthy to be Megatron's bondmate!"

"You mean the whore that ran away from him?" Starscream snorted. "He just wants his port and his carrying chamber, I doubt it'll be a temporary bond. Once Megatron is satisfied, he'll dump him like any other broken toy."

"Starscream may be right" Blitzwing commented. "If Lord Megatron vanted a _permanent_ mate, he vould look for somebot vith good fighting skills and at least small experience vith politics. Zat Autobot he lusts so much for is just a playzing to use in berz." His face spun. "I can't balme him, zat firetruck has a pretty face and a nice aft!"

"But why?! Why would he choose an Autobot to be his bondmate?!" Lugnut protested once more with his loud voice. "He shouldn't waste his time with him, that Autobot is weak and will only ruin the pure Decepticon coding that has been kept in his family for hundreds of generations!"

"And why would he choose to threaten a mech who _clearly_ doesn't want to bond with him but will do anyways to protect his Primus-forsaken race when he could easily find a willing and loyal mate?" The seeker screeched. "He wouldn't have had dragged us to this slagging city in the first place!"

"It's Lord Megatron's decision, and as much as I disagree with it, we must respect whatever he chooses to do." The bomb plane said, rather disappointed.

"But zink about zis; vhen he has his slut back, he von't be in a foul mood all ze time anymore. He vill finally be happy and ve von't have to fear for our safety vhile he is angry vithout his playzing to relieve some stress." Blitzwing pointed out, gaining the other Decepticons' attention. "Instead of beating or offlining us, he vill have his bondmate and sparklings to keep him occupied."

There was a small moment of silence before Starscream spoke up. "I... Hadn't thought about that..." he mumbled, understanding what the other soldier tried to say.

It was true, Megatron had been _very_ frustrated without his pet to play with. He would always yell and snap at them, throw things at them, beat them, and he even tried to blast them in the face twice!

But now that he had what he wanted, he'd finally be satisfied and would forget about those beatings and yells and instead focus on his fragtoy and his future sparklings.

"...but that doesn't change the fact that I hate this place and I hate the Autobots!"

Blitzwing sighed. "Ve all do, Starscream, ve all do."

* * *

Optimus stared sadly out of the window in his quarters. There was a lot of movement on the streets this dark-cycle, although he didn't know if it was because of the Decepticons' arrival or it was just another busy night on Iacon.

The young mech sighed. Tonight he decided to spend some time alone in his quarters since the air broadcast was loaded with images and video footage of Megatron and his lieutenants arriving on Iacon and meeting the Magnus for 'political matters'.

He hated that no matter where he looked, there was a huge reminder of his upcoming fate. All Cybertron was talking about Megatron and the Decepticons, wondering why did Ultra Magnus decide to discuss political things with him all of a sudden.

It didn't help that _he_ was the _reason_ why all of this was happening.

He didn't want to imagine a future with Megatron. Frag, he didn't even _love_ him, yet here he was, waiting for the Magnus' call to his office to tell him everything he needed to know about their bonding ceremony.

He didn't know how to feel about all of this. He was angry, sad and scared at the same time, more scared than anything else. His processor seemed to be filled with negative thoughts and bad memories from the time he spent with the warlord.

"This is going to be different" the young Prime tried to reassure himself. "He can't hurt me, Ultra Magnus will take me back if he does so."

When he was younger, he had imagined that bonding to someone was a rather nice experience. You found a 'bot you liked and that they liked you back, you became eachother's mate and you raised a happy family together.

Well, it looked like it wasn't like that for him.

He tried to comfort himself by saying that this was for the best, to protect Cybertron and most importantly, his friends. He would save thousands of lives... except his own.

Looking down at his belly he felt a little happy kick from his sparklings, unaware of what was happening outside the safety of their Carrier's body. Optimus smiled faintly and ran his servo over it, feeling some shifting underneath the plating.

He wasn't sacrificing his own life only. He was sacrificing his sparklings' as well.

He didn't know how would Megatron be once he became a Sire. Would he raise his sparklings with love and care? Or would he try to mould them into warriors since the beggining? Would he let him get involved in their lives of would he just snatch them away from him the moment they were out of his body?

He didn't want anything bad to happen to his little ones. He wanted to raise them by himself, far away from their Sire if it was possible, but Megatron had specified that he wanted them as well. There was no turning back now.

According to Ratchet, he was due ro go into labor in a couple more deca-cycles, so he didn't have enough time to prepare for their arrival. Hopefully (although he hated to think so) Megatron would have all the stuff needed to care for the sparklings.

Oh, but there would be some things that Megatron wouldn't be able to do, other than tending to their physical needs. Teach them some decent morals, for example. He didn't want his creations to grow to be rapists like their Sire.

He'd have to teach his sparklings how to handle relationships when they grew up. Megatron would only teach them to force things, that was for sure.

Optimus shook his helm to get rid of those thoughts. Like Ratchet said, he had to deal with one thing at a time.

Right now, even without looking forward to, he had to focus on his upcoming bonding ceremony and the peace treaty between Autobots and Decepticons. It would still be a little while until the sparklings arrived, so for now, he was going to let them be.

He wondered how his bonding would be like. Would it be in front of a priest or any other official 'bot? And what would everyone say once they spotted his bulged tummy? What title would he get once he bonded to the Decepticon warlord? Where would they live?

At least he was grateful that he would get to have his teammates' company. He could feel _a lot_ safer around them, plus he didn't think he'd be able to leave them behind if the Magnus hadn't allowed them to accompany him.

Everyone said that starting a new life with someone was wonderful, but Optimus didn't find any of this wonderful at all.


	3. Arrangements

Ultra Magnus stood patiently in his office, facing the large window at the back and his servos clasped behind his back. Sentinel Prime was going about some laws and legal regulations over his desk, but he wasn't paying attention now.

His processor was flooded with thoughts and memories from the recent meeting he had with the Decepticon leader. He didn't look as a threat, but there was... _something_ about him that the Magnus couldn't put his finger on. Sure, he had agreed to all his terms and respected his decisions when he proposed his own ones, but after millions of stellar-cycles of rivalty he just couldn't outright trust this mech.

There had been a smug look on his optics, a longing air of satisfaction in every of his movements while his energy fields seemed relaxed. Either he was vert good at masking his true emotions or he _really_ didn't come with destructive intentions.

The arrangement of documents had lasted a mega-cycle and a half before the warlord decided he wanted to talk about his bonding ceremony.

"Please, Megatron" Ultra Magnus had almost begged, "give him some time. Optimus Prime is still very young, and he's been through a lot to properly register all these new changes." He tried to emphazise that the way the young Prime was feeling was all _Megatron's_ fault.

"I know him well enough to know he's a smart, strong mech." Megatron had asnwered, smirking smugly as he leaned back in his chair. "I doubt it would be a problem for him to adapt. Plus, he'll have _everything_ he needs once he settles down with me, so why should he worry?"

The Magnus sighed. Either Megatron didn't realise the damage (both physical and mental) he had inflicted in the young mech or he didn't want to see it.

"I am not talking about his physical needs" Ultra Magnus had snapped. "What I am trying to say is that if you are to become his mate, you _must_ play your role as one. Treat Optimus as an equal, not as an object."

The warlord's engines had rumbled unpleasantly and he narrowed his optics, indignated by the comment. "I believe I have said _enough_ for you to believe me that my intentions with the little Prime are pure."

It was useless to argue with this mech. No matter what points he made, he would always answer as if he was right and would keep saying the same things over and over again.

The Magnus leaned forward on the table and rubbed his brow with his large servo. This meeting was going to give him a massive processor-ache after he was done.

"If that would be all, Magnus" Megatron had started, already standing up from his chair. "I think it is best for us to leave. I know your Autobots will be _very_ pleased to know that we have reached an agreement."

Ultra Magnus didn't have an answer for this. He listened as the heavy pedesteps headed to the door and spoke up when said door opened. "One last thing, Megatron."

His old optics suddenly flashed a dark shade of blue and he glared dangerously at the warlord. "I believe I won't have to remind you what will happen if you hurt him."

Megatron simply smirked. "Trust me, Magnus." Half his body was at the other side of the door, "I will take _very_ good care of your little Autobot." And with that, he left.

He just hoped that he kept his promise. Not only with Cybertron, but with Optimus as well.

After all these stellar-cycles he had come to realize that the young Prime had a lot of potential, being able to beat up Megatron before him or any of his mechs could, he managed to return the Allspark to Cybertron and successfully lead a team of fellow Autobots (even if they were just space-bridge repair-'bots).

It was a mistake to kick him out of the Autobot Academy. He would have made a great soldier.

"Sir? Are you listening?"

A voice close to him pulled him out of his thoughts. Looking down and to his side, he saw Sentinel Prime standing right beside him, holding a datapad on his servo and wearing a confused expression.

"I apologize, Sentinel Prime." He politely said. "But I'm afraid I can't stay and listen to what you have to tell me now. I have a meeting to attend."

The Prime's face seemed to drop in both irritation and disappointment. "It's about Optimus, right?"

Ultra Magnus didn't want to answer this. He knew he and Optimus didn't like eachother at all, and he didn't want to cause any trouble to any of them.

The Magnus remained in silence and returned his gaze to outside the window. Sentinel rolled his optics before saying, "Sir, with all due respect, you shouldn't waste your time with a lowly repair-'bot like him! He has caused enough trouble already, why would you want to meet him _again_?"

"That decision is not for you to take, Sentinel Prime." He replied sternly, looking down at the smaller 'bot. "Optimus Prime is the key individual in Cybertron's close future, and it is imperative for me to talk to him."

The Prime looked up at his leader, uncertain of what he could say. He knew it was _hard_ to convince the Magnus to do  _anything_ , but he just didn't want someone as low as Optimus to get the chance to talk to the Magnus more often than he himself could!

"Now, as I said before, I don't have time to continue with your lecture right now. You are dismissed."

Sentinel huffed lightly but nodded anyways, turning on his heels and stomping his way to the door.

Just as he was about to input the command, it opened, startling him a little before he recognized the two mechs at the other side.

It was Jazz, and behind him, that whore of _Optimus Prime_.

Both mechs stepped aside to let the other Prime walk through, ignoring Jazz but giving Optimus a deep scowl of disgust. The blue and red mech stared back at him with an I-don't-care expression, actually catching him off-guard, for he would have expected him to lower his helm in shame or something.

Either way, he just snorted and continued his way out of the Magnus' office and into the large corridors of Fortress Maximus.

Jazz stepped in with Optimus at his side and saluted politely. "Commander! Ah have brought ya Optimus Prime as ya requested!"

The Magnus turned around and acknowledged the two mechs with a stiff nod. "Thank you, Jazz. You are dismissed."

Jazz nodded and turned on his heels, giving Optimus a pat on the shoulder and a friendly smile before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

"Commander" Optimus greeted, saluting and stepping forward. "It's an honor to meet you once again."

"Hello, Optimus Prime." Ultra Magnus greeted. "Please, have a seat, we have many things to discuss."

Both mechs stepped forward and took a seat at the large desk, Magnus in his own chair and Optimus in the one specially for guests. It was comfortable and soft, not to be surprised considering this was the Autobot leader's office.

There was an awkward silence at first, Optimus not really sure if he should start talking or if Ultra Magnus would do so.

"So..." the young Prime started uneasily. "What did he say?"

Ultra Magnus sighed. "It is done. He accepted to all my terms and I accepted some of his, obviously they'll have to be reconsidered but so far they're acceptable. We have already signed all the necessary documents as well."

The Prime's optics flashed with hope. "Does that mean that Autobots and Decepticons are now in peace?"

As Ultra Magnus nodded, Optimus couldn't help but feel a small jolt of joy run across his frame.

"However, it will not be valid until you legally bond."

That made the Prime's mood drop. He knew it was something unavoidable that would have to be done sooner or later, but he just couldn't get used to the idea of becoming Megatron's mate.

Worst of all, that was the reason why he was here at the moment.

"Well... how will the ceremony be, then?" Optimus asked in a weak voice, discouraged.

"Megatron did not want it to be a lone Autobot ceremony, so he decided to join a small part of the Decepticon tradition."

'Decepticon tradition?'? That did _not_ sound good.

"The ceremony will be held here, in Fortress Maximus, and I will oversee your vows and sign your documents as a legally bonded couple. A feast will be prepared in your honour, which you will be able to decide which dishes will be served." The Magnus handed a datapad containing a list of different entrees, main dishes, desserts and beverages for him to choose to his liking.

"Megatron wanted to suggest a few traditional Decepticon dishes as well." He added as an after-thought. "After the celebration is over, a shuttle will come and pick you up to take both of you to the place where you will be living."

"...my new home?" Optimus asked suddenly, feeling a pang of sadness to know he had to leave the house where him and his team had lived for many stellar-cycles. "W-Where will I be living?"

"Well, now that Megatron has an official recognition on Cybertron once more, he acquired the rights to own a property in Kaon, the Decepticon district. I believe he chose a private estate at the north of the city."

Was he... Was he going to live in _Kaon_? Surrounded by dangerous Decepticons aside from Megatron? How was he supposed to raise his sparklings like that? He didn't want them to become mindless brutes!

"A-And what about my team? Will they still be able to come with me?"

The Magnus nodded. "That has been arranged as well. Your crew will have the opportunity to live in the same estate or live somwehere outside it if that's what they desire. The Decepticons have no right to harm you or them, so if they choose to settle down somewhere else in Kaon, they will be allowed to."

That was a relief. He doubted any of them would want to live somewehere in Kaon other than the place he himself would live in, but he would make sure to let them know that they could do that just in case.

"And my... my sparklings?" He asked in a small voice, unconciously wrapping an arm around his abdomen.

Ultra Magnus sensed the young Prime's distress and gently placed his servo on top of his much smaller one. "They have full protection of the law. Do not worry, Optimus Prime. We will keep Megatron on check constantly to ensure not you nor your creations are harmed."

He still feared for his little ones' future. How could they live with a brute like Megatron as their Sire? And raise them in Kaon? That was no place for a sparkling, even for Decepticon sparklings! What about their education? He wouldn't want them to attend Decepticon schools (if they even existed), but he just couldn't send them back to Iacon or Metroplex!

He had drifted off in his thoughts so much that he forgot what was his main task at the moment.

"How much time do I have left?" His distressed optics looked up at the Magnus, his servo trembling under the larger limb and making both their platings rattle.

"Not much, I'm afraid." Ultra Magnus sighed. "Megatron wants to carry out the ceremony as soon as possible, but he agreed to give you five-solar cycles to arrange everything you have to do before you settle down with him."

The energon on his lines seemed to run cold upon hearing that. Only _five_ solar-cycles? What was wrong with him? He knew he was desperate, but he would have believed that he had at least some common sense and allow him more time to prepare!

Oh wait- it's _Megatron_ who we're talking about, he had no common sense whatsoever. He just did what he wanted and when he wanted, not caring if it affected other 'bots.

Especially 'bots who he had hurt _personally_.

"I know this is hard to process, but I am certain that you are strong enough to endure it." The Magnus reassured softly.

"I... I'm really scared, sir" the young Prime couldn't help but squeak pathetically, "and I'm afraid of how will Megatron act once he has me back..."

A single tear rand down his cheek as he struggled not to turn into a weeping mess right now, not in the Magnus' office and _certainly_ not in front of the Magnus himself.

"...but I am comforted to know that this is for the good of Cybertron." He managed to choke out, looking at the Autobot Commander with optics full of sadness and determination.

Ultra Magnus smiled faintly at him and felt a small pang of guilt curse through his frame. "Cybertron will forever be in deed with you for your sacrifice, Optimus Prime."

The older mech helped him stand up and accompanied him to the door, giving him a comforting pat on his shoulder. "Oh, and Optimus?"

The young Prime looked over his shoulder, meeting the Magnus' gaze once more. "Don't try to be a hero."

A new pang of pain hit his spark and he fought even harder not to cry like a sparkling again, but the Magnus just looked at him with proud optics and said,

"Because you already are one."

* * *

Ratchet was working on repairing some tools when the sound of the door opening caught his attention. Directing his helm to the source of the sound, he was relieved to see the young Prime closing the door behind him.

He looked a little upset, though.

"Hey, kid" Ratchet tried to greet as cheerfully as he could. "How did it go?"

Optimus sighed. "As good as it could be expected to be." He replied flatly. His back was slightly hunched and he seemed to be dragging his pedes as he headed to one of the cupboards to fetch an energon cube.

Ratchet stared at his leader for a while. He seemed as sad as he had been during the last solar-cycles, and honestly he had been expecting him to return on the verge of tears. Surprisingly, he looked calm.

Putting down the solder and various metal pieces, he quickly wiped his servos with a cleaning rag and walked over where the other mech was drinking his energon.

"Wanna talk about it?" The medic asked softly, placing a gentle servo on his shoulder. Optimus looked hesitant for a moment before answering. "Okay. But, could you please call the others?"

Now Ratchet was distraught by this. When they talked about Megatron or anything related to him, he would usually want to be alone with the medic. It wasn't natural for him to want to talk about this delicate matter with the whole team.

"Prime, are you sure...?" He asked, concern painted all over his face. However, the Prime nodded. "Yes, Ratchet. This is information you all have to know, sooner or later."

The medic sighed. Optimus was right, they would be very much involved in Optimus' life from now on. So, they all had to be updated with the information.

A few cycles later everyone had gathered in the living room, sitting silently and surrounding his leader, waiting for him to start talking.

"Megatron already signed the peace treaty." The young leader began explaining. Bumblebee and Bulkhead had to share a proper incredulous look while Prowl gasped lightly.

"However, it won't be valid until I... _bond_." He practically gagged upon saying that word.

"WHAT?! Why?" Bumblebee suddenly blurted out, looking distressedly at his leader. "Ultra Magnus says that our legal union as a bonded couple will seal permanently the treaty with the Decepticons." The blue and red mech explained calmly.

Bulkhead released a sad whimper. "When will the ceremony be?"

"Five solar-cycles from now."

The youngsters gasped and Prowl made a surprised face, while Ratchet just shook his helm in both anger and disappointment. "Fragger could've given you more time."

"I know, but Megatron said that he wanted our ceremony to be as soon as possible." Optimus said with quite an amount of sadness in his voice. Honestly, he wasn't looking forward to that ceremony. But everything was already arranged, so there was nothing he could do about it.

"How will the ceremony be celebrated? I've heard that Decepticons and Autobots have different traditions when it comes to official festivities." Prowl asked in his calm voice, although there was an edge of curiosity in it.

"Ultra Magnus will oversee our vows at Fortress Maximus and there'll be a party afterwards. Then, a special shuttle will come to pick us up and take us to Kaon, where we will be living from now on."

"KAON?!" Everyone asked in a chorus, surprise edging their voices. "Y-You mean... the De-Decepticon district?" Bumblebee gulped. "IS ULTRA MAGNUS OUT OF HIS PROCESSOR?!"

"There's _no_ way we will be letting you live in Kaon!" Ratchet retorted. "Who knows what those damn Decepticons' intentions are, and we're _not_ going to leave you alone in a city full of them!"

"Ratchet's right, even if Megatron signed a truce, there will be many other Decepticons that might want to hurt you." Prowl protested. It wasn't only the fear of his leader being assassinated that haunted him, but Optimus was rather... good-looking, and naturally, Autobots didn't get to live in Kaon; he was practically a gem in a pile of stones, and some Decepticons might get some ideas and try to snatch him for themselves.

"Bossbot, I know we're your team and as such, are here to protect you, but a city full of 'Cons is too much for us to handle! We won't be able to fight off _everyone_ we encounter and wants to attack you!" Bulkhead said distressedly, opening his large servos for emphasis.

"According to Ultra Magnus, we -and that inclued all of you- will get to live in Megatron's private property, although if you wish, you can live somewhere else in the city as long as you keep in contact with me." Optimus explained.

The four 'bots looked at eachother with uncertain looks, not really sure how to feel about that. "Prime... don't you think that's a little... I don't know, _invasive_?" Ratchet asked rather awkwardly. He thought that if Optimus were to raise a family, he would need some privacy to do so, and having the team around wouldn't be very helpful.

The Prime shook his helm. "I wouldn't mind. Besides, Ultra Magnus told me it would be some kind of estate, so there'll be enough room for everyone."

That made everyone release a small sound of relief. They'd never been to Kaon, but considering the size if its inhabitants, the estate should be big enough to hold four repair-'bots, a bonded couple and two sparklings.

"Will we be able to return to Iacon?" Bumblebee asked, hopeful.

Optimus sighed. He _highly_ doubted he would be granted the same freedom as before, even with all the points and requirements Ultra Magnus had stated. Megatron wanted him to be his and his alone, there was no doubt about that.

"We can't be certain, Bumblebee." Ratchet explained, placing a servo on the young mech's shoulder. He silently tried to make him understand that their lives wouldn't be the same as before.

There was a moment of silence before the young Prime spoke up. "Well, I think that is all. If you excuse me, I'll be taking a stasis nap in my quarters." Upon saying that, Optimus stood up and quickly retired to his room without looking back.

Slumping on his berth, he couldn't help but release a miserable sigh. Five days wouldn't be enough for him to mentally prepare for his new life!

Megatron might be looking forward to it, but Optimus wasn't. Who knew if the warlord's intentions had changed or if he was the same afthole as he always had been.

Bonding was something he had envisioned far, far into his future, but now he found himself five days from his ceremony with a 'bot he didn't love in the slightlest.

Sometimes he wondered if all of this would have been different if only they hadn't entered that ship all those lunar-cycles ago.

It looked like his whole life had already been arranged, he realised bitterly.


	4. The Big Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay! To make it up to you, please have this extra-long chapter! *^^*
> 
> Optimus finally bonds with Megatron! But how will things go?
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Rolling_girl27

The five days that were given to him weren't enough to mentally prepare for his unavoidable fate. He couldn't recharge very well due to constant stress, and it wasn't helping that anywhere he looked there was an awful reminder of that terrible grey mech.

During that time, the Magnus had publicy announced the signature of the documents to establish a peace treaty between Autobots and Decepticons, and Cybertron's citizens couldn't be happier. If they had once been complaining about the Magnus inviting the Decepticons over, they were now cheering and praising him for his wise decision.

However, no one seemed to know that _he_ was going to be the one to sacrifice his life for his people.

Sure, Ultra Magnus had mentioned the bonding of two individuals of each faction, but he never stated _who_. He supposed that he should be grateful for that small amount of privacy.

Optimus sank a little further into the pool as all these thoughts invaded his processor. He sighed, to think that in a matter of mega-cycles he would be bonded to the leader of the Decepticons. He would be bonded to someone he had vowed to destroy, his sworn enemy, the monster who relished on his fellow Autobots' suffering.

He sighed. He didn't want to think of it in that way. Just like the space-bridges he was assigned to repair, this was just another duty he had to fulfill. There would be nothing personal involved, just political business, he tried to fool himself.

"No one said I had to love him." The young Prime quietly reminded himself. Yes, he was going to become Megatron's mate and yes, he was going to be the Sire of _his_ sparklings, as much as he hated to recognize it; but that didn't mean he had to stand by his side and support him as a 'normal' couple would.

If he could help it, he didn't want to stand by his side at all.

He didn't care if Megatron wasn't involved in their children's raising, he'd rather do it on his own if it meant the little ones got to stay away from their brutal Sire and his many versions of abuse. He didn't care if he had to be dolled-up and just be a pretty thing for Megatron to brag about as long as he stayed away from his sparklings, his friends, Ultra Magnus and the rest of the Autobots.

Optimus sighed bitterly once again. He was tired, he practically didn't recharge at all last night and had only had his two daily energon cubes with additives before leaving the house.

Just a few mega-cycles earlier, Jazz had come to their house to pick the whole team up and take them to Fortress Maximus. Apparently, the Magnus had hired the staff of some fancy spa (the _Crystal Cove_ , if he remembered well) to tend to all of them and get them ready for tonight's ceremony.

And that's how he had ended up here, in some quiet wash racks, left to soak in a warm pool of scented solvents as he wrapped his whole processor around the situation he was currently in.

The Prime ran a servo over his distended abdominal plating, not surprised when he felt two little kicks. The sparklings would come out soon, and even if he should be terrified or at least worried about it, he was actually pretty calm. He didn't know how or why, but all his worries and his distress seemed to be orbiting around his and Megatron's bonding ceremony.

His thoughts were interrupted with a knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer, a small pink and lavender femme peeked from the door, her giant blue optics locking on Optimus and smiling.

"Ah! Sorry to invade, Consort. But your time is up. Now, we must get you in the next room to apply the first layer of paint." She greeted, sliding the door closed behind her and grabbing a couple towels hanging from the sink.

Optimus just nodded, gripping the edges of the little stool he had been sitting on for support to stand up. With the help of the femme, he managed to get out and step into the white tiles of the wash racks, the cool air touching his warm body and making him shiver.

"Feeling refreshed?" The femme asked conversationally as she carefully dried all the solvents from Optimus' plating. "Yeah, I feel more relaxed now." Optimus lied, wearing a soft smile that made the femme gleam.

"Good, good!" She nodded. "We have only the best-quality products at our spa. After we're done painting and buffing your frame, all your guests will fall in love with the looks of the beautiful bondmate-to-be tonight!"

Optimus smiled sadly at her. _Yeah. Everyone except me_ , he thought.

"Okay. This way, Consort. My partners are already waiting for you." The femme gently guided him through a door and into a room full of other femmes, all of them holding a buff or a paintbrush in hand as they looked up at the young Prime.

"Ooh, is this the lucky mech who will be bonding tonight?" One of them asked in a friendly tone, failing to see Optimus' sorrow. "Yep! I want you to leave him looking his best, he must be stunning for his mate!" The femme who had accompanied him replied.

All the femmes in the room giggled excitedly as they approached the taller mech. "Don't worry, sweetspark! We're professionals. You won't recognize yourself after we're finished with you!"

Optimus just smiled grimly at them and let himself be guided further inside the room, stepping onto a small platform that would allow the staff to easily buff his clean frame.

As the femmes did their work, Optimus couldn't help but wonder what were his teammates doing right now. He hoped they were being treated just as nicely as these femmes were doing with him.

He tried to picture a whiny Bumblebee running away from bathtime, or a grumpy Ratchet scolding a staff member for pressing the wrong joints during a massage, or even these small femmes trying to hold still a ticklish Bulkhead from squirming too much while they tried to buff him.

These thoughts surprisingly made him snort a little, that would be something funny to see. He hoped that at least they were enjoying it and not worrying about what the future held for them.

Sighing miserably, he let his mind drift off into his thoughts as the femmes continued to buff his plating.

 

* * *

 

All Iacon was gathering around Fortress Maximus in an attempt to get a peek of the 'bots who would bond in the name of peace. 'Bots from all over the planet had come to the city just to witness the magnificent ending of the war that had slaughtered millions of Autobots and Decepticons alike.

Cybertron had never witnessed such a large bonding ceremony through all its history, with endless crowds of Autobots surrounding the great Autobot fortress while throwing cheers and words of encouragement to the 'bots behind the tall walls. Of course they couldn't hear them, but they still did nonetheless.

It's not only the fact that the couple to bond would establish a permanent state of peace between the two factions the one that gathered the most attention, but it would be the very first Autobot-Decepticon bonding Cybertron had ever witnessed since the beggining of the Great War. Everyone was curious as of how it would be, so much that a couple reporters had asked permission to the Magnus to transmit the entire ceremony through Cybertron's air broadcast.

Ultra Magnus -alongside some other trusted 'bots from his choosing- had been the one to organize the whole ceremony, of course not without consulting Optimus first. As for Megatron, he prefered to give priority to the young Prime than him. The warlord was a shameless mech capable of doing _anything_ to get what he wanted, and Ultra couldn't even imagine what kind of twisted ideas would he have to get his servos on Optimus.

The only thing he respected from him was his petition of joining both Autobot and Decepticon traditions in the whole celebration.

On the big day, Autobot couples were allowed to spend some time together before the ceremony, in order to calm their nerves and make a few arrangements if needed. The couple would be starting a new life together and they would need as much support from eachother as they could gather.

However, Decepticons didn't allow any kind of contact between soon-to-be bonded couples before the ceremony. It was believed to bring bad luck, so the couple had to wait until they met at the altar to _truly_ spend time together.

Also, they had a _very_ strict dress code. The 'bot who would be taking the role as the Conjux had to wear battle-grade armour in order to show strength and dominance, while the 'bot who would act as the Endura had to wear ornaments with crystals or gems incrusted in them to show off beauty and submission.

While Autobots said vows at their ceremonies, Decepticons would only sign the legal documents in front of an audience. Bondings from both factions could be either public or private, whatever the couple desired.

After the ceremony, Decepticon couples would immediately retire to some special bonding chambers to join their sparks and seal their bond through interface, with no one being able to disturb them or interfere with them.

It was very different to Autobot customs, which stated that a celebration was in order after the ceremony concluded. Usually a feast was held where all the guests could cheer at the newly-bonded couple and give them gifts, sharing their happiness together. It wasn't until the party was over that the couple would retire to their rooms to share sparks and interface.

Finally, they both had their own bonding rituals. During Autobot parties, a single cube of high-grade was given to the couple so they both drank from it. It was supposed to represent cooperation and their first duty fulfilled as a bonded couple.

On the other hand, Decepticon couples would give eachother personal 'trophies' from battles they had won in the past. They considered themselves a warrior race, so it wasn't uncommon to be given weapons, parts from other victims' bodies or even a piece of their own armour.

They had very different customs and beliefs, but Ultra Magnus had managed to join both factions' traditions to please the mechs that would be bonding. Of course, he had modified some of them and had stated that the ceremony would be _pr_ _ivate_ ; he didn't want to cause any more stress than Optimus must be feeling at the moment.

Giving one last check to make sure the documents had been properly signed, the Autobot leader was interrupted by his comm. link going off.

[What is it?] The old mech asked tiredly.

[Ultra Magnus, sir, it's Nightingale!] The cheery voice of a femme greeted him. [I just wanted to let you know that the Endura is ready!]

Giving a glance to the clock resting at the edge of his desk, he noticed that his time was starting to run short. The ceremony would be starting soon and he still wanted to share some words with Optimus in private.

[Thank you, Nightingale. I will be there in a moment.]

The old mech released his audio fin and sighed. How he wished the poor Prime had had an option other than sacrificing his own future. Of course he trusted Optimus and knew he was a brave and loyal mech, selfless and always looking after everyone around him. That seemed to be the fact that made him feel bad the most. To waste such a valuable mech that could become a worthy Magnus but instead being forced to become the Decepticon tyrant's bride.

But he decided something. He would work to give Optimus the best priviliges. It wasn't something a just Magnus would do, but he saw Optimus as something special that made him want to do everything in his power to protect him.

Yes, he would make sure not Optimus nor his offspring were harmed while they lived with Megatron. He would make sure Optimus got to have an important place in the Decepticon ranks, even if it was just in title. He would make sure his sparklings received the best education and were overseen by an official 'bot to make sure they weren't abused by Megatron in any form.

Optimus Prime had gone through a lot, and so Ultra Magnus believed it was time for him to take a very well-earned break. Maybe he would feel better once his creations were born and he had something he could focus his processor on. Megatron was a very high-ranking Decepticon, and surely him and his 'family' would be given the best amenities for their living.

He just hoped everything would go in that way.

Standing up from his large chair, Ultra Magnus made his way out of his office and to the room Optimus and his team were getting ready in.

 

* * *

 

Everyone (including himself) couldn't stop staring at Optimus.

Who would've known the Magnus had such a good taste in clothes!

"Woah..." Bumblebee praised, optics locked on his leader's decorated frame. "You look great, bossbot!"

"Indeed" Prowl said calmly. "You look very elegant." He added with a nod.

Optimus was so taken back by his appearance that he almost forgot to thank his friends for their praises. It surprised him to see that he actually looked _good_ in the ornaments the Magnus had chosen for him to wear tonight.

He was wearing a delicate red cloak with golden patterns embroidered around the edge of the hood and the bottom, with an Autobot insignia working as the brooch to keep it secure over his chest. Thick golden bracelets with little diamond-shaped rubies incrusted on them were wrapped around his wrists, and a beautifully designed golden crown with a small red gem at the center rested on his helm.

Beneath all that, his plating looked stunning. He shone a vibrant cherry red alongside a beautiful sky blue, and his silver-white thighs looked as pristine as ever. All his frame seemed to glitter under the artificial light of the room plus he smelled wonderful due to the scented wax he had been applied on before.

"You look very handsome, Consort!" One of the staff femmes praised in a squeaky voice, sharing some approving looks with her partners as well as some excited giggles.

"I wish I could look as good as him..." Bulkhead mumbled, scratching the back of his neck as a slight blush adorned his cheeks.

The Prime, finally out of his surprised trance, turned around to look at the big mech. "What are you talking about, Bulkhead? You look fantastic!"

And he wasn't lying, his friends looked as good as him. Although their frames weren't adorned with fancy ornaments like him, the spa staff had buffed, waxed and painted them until they looked like new models straight out of the factory.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "May I come in?" Came the muffled voice of the Magnus.

One of the femmes approached the door and slid it open for the Autobot Commander, receiving him with a sweet smile. "Sir! How may we serve you?" Optimus asked, saluting politely just as his friends did.

The Magnus smiled softly. "There is no need for the formalities, Optimus Prime. Although I am grateful for your politeness."

Everyone looked a little distraught, for they were used to act all formal around the Magnus but now he was asking them to be more casual. Either way, they decided not to question it and relaxed a bit.

Discreetly eyeing the young Prime up and down, Ultra Magnus was pleased to see he was wearing the fine ornaments he had chosen especially for him. "I hope the ornaments are to your liking?"

Optimus took a moment to look down at himself and smiled. "Indeed, sir. I really like them." He extended his arms to admire the cloak, giving a little twirl in his place to look at himself at all angles. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." The Magnus answered politely. He walked closer to the bondmate-to-be and placed a servo on his shoulder, both looking at his reflection on the mirror. "I only wanted the best for the 'bot who had the spark to sacrifice himself for his kind. You deserve this and more, Optimus Prime."

Optimus felt flattered for those words, yet sad at the same time. Oh, how he would have wished to wear something like this on the day when he became Magnus. If that day would've ever come, of course.  
  
Ultra Magnus had respected Decepticon traditions when choosing the accessories. However, he decided to add red gems (characteristics of Autobot culture) and a cloak to give him some... _privacy_. He believed Optimus would want something to hide his distended abdomen with; no one wanted nosey reporters and media 'bots talking about him or his future parenthood. Gossip about the ceremony was stressful enough.

The Magnus gently pulled Optimus' shoulder so they were now face to face. The young Prime looked up at him with confused optics. The elder mech sighed, struggling a little to find the correct words to express how proud he was of his subordinate.

"Optimus Prime" he started. "I... want to let you know that the Elite Guard -and _me_ , as the acting Magnus- are proud of your sacrifice and couldn't be more grateful. You have proved yourself to be a worthy leader and a hero to the Autobot race. You managed to do what no one had ever been able to do before; defeat Megatron in battle and bring him to your pedes."

Optimus' optics widened slightly at the speech.

"However, at the recent... turn of events, Cybertron couldn't yet rest of the terrible war that has tormented us for millions of stellar-cycles. But," he looked at the Prime directly in the optics, " _you_ are going to change all of that. Listen to me, Optimus Prime, when I say that you have my full respect and you will _always_ have a place here, on Iacon. Today you will be starting a new life, a new life that you were not expecting, but you know it is for everyone's good. Today you will pass to Autobot history as the mech who sacrificed his spark and body for the safety of his people. No matter how far or for how long you go, please know that I will always be by your side." He tapped a finger over Optimus' chest, right over his spark chamber.

The young Prime was lost for words. Did the Magnus... mean everything he said? Did he _really_ appreciate him enough to give him that speech? Or was it just something he said to all of his subordinates?

Either way, he couldn't help but be touched by his Commander's words. For the first time, he felt _truly_ supported, as if being praised by someone as important as Ultra Magnus gave him strength to endure today and the rest of the days he would be spending by Megatron's side.

"I... S-Sir, I... I-I don't know what to say!" Oprimus stuttered, tears already forming on his optics as his energy field radiated joy and warmth.

The Autobot Commander smiled faintly and gave him a small pat on the shoulder. "You are a great soldier, Optimus Prime. Never forget that."

Optimus had to wipe away some of his tears before smiling brightly and saluting. "I'm here to serve, sir."

After that, the room fell silent for a few moments. With that speech, Ultra Magnus was left with nothing else to say, Optimus was busy drying his tears and the mood was still gloomy when it came to the ceremony.

"So..." Bumblebee broke the silence, giving a few last looks to his shining plating on the mirror before directing his expectant gaze to the Magnus. "What now?"

The old mech sighed bitterly. "Now, we must wait for the guests to arrive and then for us to be called to the altar."

 

* * *

 

No one from the repair-'bot team had ever seen the main hall of Fortress Maximus. It had always been something they could only dream of as their career wasn't worthy enough for a small visit to the Autobot Headquarters, aside from the occasional trip to the Magnus' office every time they were assigned a new space-bridge to repair.

But Primus, it was _huge_. They were sure the Steelhaven and the Ark could fly comfortably through here without bumping into anything! And it only looked better with all the decorations set up; purple and red banners with their respective insignias hung from the balconies, beautiful vases full of colorful organic flowers were placed on the corners of the room as well as next to every bench that had been set up for the guests, and a fancy crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, shining a bright yellow light that gave an elegant ambience to the room.

The repair-'bots were too busy admiring everything around them to notice the benches slowly getting full of different mechs and femmes. For being a 'private' ceremony, there sure were _a lot_ of guests.

Well, they should've expected it. Megatron, leader of the Decepticon race, was going to bond with an Autobot, a ceremony nobody would want to miss. Many of the 'bots that had already arrived were unknown to the team, but they supposed they were important politicians or maybe friends of Ultra Magnus.

They could spot Alpha Trion, Perceptor and Botanica chatting on a bench not too far from them, Sentinel bossing a few minibots around and Jazz talking to a staff 'bot on a corner. Kup was over there, snapping orders to a group of well-groomed cadets, all standing straight as they listened to their mentor. Rodimus Prime, Red Alert, Longarm Prime and Cliffjumper could be also spotted among the crowd of Autobots.

There were very few mechs that they knew personally, and it made them feel uneasy. It all worsened when the Decepticons started to arrive.

Starscream entered first, sneering at the Autobots but at the same time watching with silent awe the decorations on the room. Blitzwing was next, looking around him with uninterested optics, surprisingly keeping his temper on check. Lastly came Lugnut, the big mech actually making some 'bots squeak in surprise or fear as he narrowed his optic and growled lowly at the much smaller 'bots.

However, Megatron didn't enter with them. Was this some kind of trick? Perhaps he was planning an emboscade while everyone was distracted with this supposed 'ceremony'?

"Hey guys!" Bumblebee hissed, elbowing the mech who was next to him, whoever that was. "Megatron isn't with the other Decepticreeps."

That made everyone turn their helms to the spot the three high-ranking Decepticons were in, also noticing their leader was missing. "Indeed." Ratchet growled, looking at the bigger mechs with foul distrust.

"Don't you find it suspicious?" Bumblebee hissed again. "What if he's planning some sort of secret attack?"

"Do you think he'd really want to risk everything he's achieved?" Prowl asked in a low tone, keeping his optics locked on the Decepticons. "Perhaps he's just finishing getting ready. This is _his_ ceremony too, after all."

Bumblebee just hummed, not feeling entirely at ease when the Decepticon leader wasn't in the room. Funny, he had _always_ felt safer when Megatron wasn't around but now, it only filled him with dread.

"Where's bossbot, anyway? And why can't we stay with him?" The yellow mech asked, raising his voice a little now that it wasn't imperative for them to be discreet.

"It goes against tradition, kid." Ratchet groused. "He's somewhere behind that door," he cocked his helm into the direction he was talking about, "and he's just waiting to be called to the altar when the ceremony starts."

"Do you think it'll take too long?" Bulkhead whimpered, rubbing his large servos over his belly. "'Cause I'm starting to get kinda hungry..."

"I don't know. Maybe the Magnus is just waiting for the rest of the guests to arrive." Ratchet replied, huffing himself.

There were no words exchanged after that, they only stared at the growing crowd that slowly made their way to the benches. As one of the bonded's 'direct' family, they were allowed to sit on a bench very close to the altar, just behind the Council members.

There were only three Decepticons on the room, and even if there was a bench set up for them, they doubted they'd want to stand too far away from their leader. The least thing they might want to do is have to share the same sitting space with some 'filthy Auto-bugs'.

At long last, the giant form of Megatron entered the room, eliciting a few surprised and scared gasps from the crowd as the mighty warlord took his place on the decorated altar. His burning gaze scanned the crowd of Autobots until he spotted Optimus' friends, glaring at them briefly and mumbling something under his breath before looking away.

Everyone was relieved when Ultra Magnus entered as well, wearing a luxurious navy blue cape with white fluff adorning the upper edge, the Magnus Hammer in hand and his plating shining like sapphires under the yellow light of the chandelier.

The crowd began to settle upon his prescence, everyone taking their assigned places and sitting obediently until the large hall was in complete silence.

The team of repair-'bots shared some uneasy looks, wishing they were with their young leader to give him some type of encouragement. But it was too late now; the ceremony was taking place _here_ and  _now._

Trumpets played by the orchestra could be heard up on the balcony, announcing the start of the ceremony. They played some high notes before descending to lower ones, as the traditional entrance went.

The crowd stood up and faced the large door at the entrance of the hall, everyone staring with expectant optics the entrance of the soon-to-be bondmate. This only made Optimus' friends feel more nervous than before.

Sparks pounding behind their chests, they watched as two Elite Guard cadets of pristine plating took hold of the doorknobs and pulled them open, revealing the dolled-up Prime standing at the beggining of a red carpet.

There were a few gasps and murmurs of awe, everyone smiling at the cute yet handsome Prime. Said mech slowly made his way down the aisle, alone, with a bouquet of white and red organic flowers in hand and a blank expression on his face.

Some would say it was due to nervousness, but Optimus' friends knew better. He was afraid, sad and distressed all the same, although they all knew he had to keep his composure if he didn't want to cause any trouble among his guests.

Especially his _Decepticon_ guests.

From his spot, Megatron was wearing an evil smirk. The little Prime hadn't even reached the altar yet and he could already feel the triumph of his conquest! His deepest desire was there, right before him and he could _hardly_ wait to finally mark that beautiful Autobot as his...

Although thinking it more thoroughly... He could easily snatch the pretty Prime and make a run before anyone stops him... but no. He wanted to make this _right_ ; as much as he liked to anger the Magnus and kill some Autobots here and there, he wanted that little Prime to be his permanently. And he just had to wait for the ceremony to be over until that wish came true, and he was a _very_ patient mech.

So he watched with predatory optics the beautiful form of his future bonded, his plating shining like gems under the light and those beautiful ornaments making him look like a worthy Decepticon queen. Frag, he couldn't wait to touch that _gorgeous_ body again...

Optimus started trembling slightly as he got closer and closer to the altar, grasping the bouquet tightly and praying to Primus and all the other gods he knew to give him strength to not just break down in front of everyone.

He didn't dare to look at anyone right now; he was too scared and ashamed to do such thing. He didn't want to look at _Megatron_ even more, though he knew he would have to do that sooner or later.

And so, taking a deep breath, he forced his face upwards.

_Primus, what did he do to himself?!,_ Optimus thought as he took in the giant form of the warlord standing a few feet before him. Was he always that big? He seemed to have grown even bigger!

Plus he didn't know (nor want to know) what kind of upgrades he got into his frame to look so... _menacing_. His plating wasn't the usual smooth grey metal he had (sadly) grown used to, but instead it was now accentuated with sharp edges that made him look even more dangerous. And that _filthy_ smirk that his lips formed...

Quickly looking away, Optimus reached the last step leading to the altar, stopping right before the orchestra played the last note of the melody.

Ultra Magnus raised his servos to signal the guests it was okay to sit down now. There were a few murmurs and shuffling noises among the crowd before everything fell silent again, the low buzzing of everyone's vents the only thing audible.

"Fellow Autobots and Decepticons" The Magnus started. "We are gathered today to prescence Optimus Prime and Lord Megatron join their sparks in sacred union."

The speech had barely even started and Optimus was already growing more and more nervous. He tried to distract himself by discreetly looking at his surroundings, eyeing with distrust Megatron's minions standing in a neat row not too far from their leader, as well as feeling a bit comforted to see Sentinel and Jazz standing in the same position but just a few feet away from Ultra Magnus.

"As you can see, this is not _any_ bonding." The Magnus' speech gained his attention again, and his spark thumped inside its casing from nervousness. But now that he thought about it, why should he be nervous? The whole planet was going to know who Megatron's bonded was sooner or later, it's not like he could hide forever.

"Today, and with the union of these two respectful mechs, the devastating war that has haunted both Autobot and Decepticon race will come to an end." There was a small cheer from the crowd, filled with applauses and praises.

Once again, the elder mech raised his servos and waited for the noise to decease. "I want to show my direct gratefulness to Optimus Prime," the young mech lifted up his gaze upon hearing his name, "for doing this _great_ sacrifice in the name of Autobots and most importantly, in the name of Cybertron.

Optimus flinched slightly as Megatron uttered a low growl of indignation, but Ultra Magnus shot him a glare that made him go silent. At least he knew the elder mech was there to protect him, if the speech he had given him in the dressing room was anything to be considered.

The rest of the ceremony, Optimus zoned out, barely paying attention to what the Magnus was saying and instead trying to focus on calming his nerves. He kept his energy field tightly held back; he didn't want to give Megatron the satisfaction of seeing him terrified.

All the other guests' intense gaze were burning his back, and even if he tried to find comfort by telling himself that his friends' gazes were among those many others, it was still hard for him to hold onto that belief.

He wished he could comm. his friends, to ask them for any of their wise advice or at least to hear from them that everything would be okay, even if it wasn't real. But his comm. link had been disabled as tradition went, and he didn't want to risk everything by doing so.

Frag, he didn't even know what other activities had been planned after the ceremony! He knew Ultra Magnus had managed to include both Decepticon and Autobot traditions, but he never told him in _what way._ And what if Megatron had participated in the decision?

Optimus huffed slightly. He wished he had been taken more into consideration for the party's organization, but even that decision was taken from him. When he was young, he had dreamt about organizing a full celebration alongside his partner, something that both of them could enjoy and would be memorable for all the guests.

"Now, it is time for our couple to receive their bonding glyphs." Ultra Magnus announced, giving his two subordinates an approving nod and soon Jazz and Sentinel Prime were approaching both Optimus and Megatron each with a red velvet pillow in their hands.

"Hey there, OP" Jazz greeted quietly, discreetly reaching out his energy field to offer the terrified mech some comfort. "How're ya feelin'?"

"Nervous" Optimus answered flatly. He eyed the thing that rested on the pillow, which was a pen-like device glowing with a faint blue light. "What is that?" He asked, curiously.

"Oh, it's just an applier." The black and white mech replied, smiling warmly. He held the pillow in one servo while he used the other to take the device. "Ah was assigned to write yar bondin' glyph." He brought the pillow forward, gesturing the other mech to put his hand on it.

"A bonding glyph?" Optimus asked, placing his left servo as he was asked to and watching as the device started glowing a bit brighter and Jazz began writing something on his ring finger.

"Yep. It's somethin' that everybot has to wear once they're bonded." Jazz explained. Little by little Optimus could see that something was being printed onto his armour, of the same shade of the glowing light of the device.

He took a peek to his side and managed to see Sentinel doing the same to Megatron. He tried not to snort as the other Prime grimaced and with shaky digits moved the device around one of the warlord's fingers. It looked like he held the same disgust for 'Cons as he had always had.

"There, all done." Jazz concluded. He pulled back the device and let Optimus see his newly-written bonding glyph. Before returning to the Magnus, the ninjabot squeezed the young Prime's servo before patting it, giving him the best reassuring smile he could manage and reminding him that he'd _always_ be there for him without the need for words.

Optimus smiled back sadly. By the cyber-ninja's expression, he could only guess that with that glyph imprinted on his finger, he was officially bonded to Megatron.

It was done.

This was his life now.

Sentinel and Jazz retreated to their place beside the Magnus, wearing stoic -but polite- faces. The old Autobot gave one last glance to the bonded couple, supressing a low growl when he saw the smug smirk on his enemy's face, and with a sigh, he uttered his last words.

"Let us pray for these bonded mechs' eternal happiness and health, for our mighty God to accompany them in the many stellar-cycles ahead of their lives." Raising the Magnus Hammer high into the air, he finally roared, "In the name of Primus and Cybertron, I declare these two mechs to be officially bonded." He finished by slamming the hammer on the floor, eliciting a loud roar from the crowd just in time as the orchestra began to play a new -and happier- melody.

The young Prime weakly turned around, feeling a little faint and scared, but still managed to keep his composure. He could see the many guests now cheering and clapping loudly, and spotting his friends he was rather depressed to see them clapping but giving him some sad smiles as well.

He didn't notice when there was a loud popping sound and soon little pieces of colorful paper, confetti and glitter began falling to the floor, covering him and the guests in the colorful materials. He was too busy dwelling on his own thoughts, all the while fighting the urge to purge his tanks or simply run away and never looking back.

Optimus heard a loud rumble next to him, far too close for comfort, and looking up he was displeased to meet Megatron's hungry expression, smiling down at him smugly.

"Aren't you going to accompany me through the aisle, _my bonded_?" The big grey mech asked almost in a purr and offered him his arm, only fuelling the Prime's desire to slap him across the face and run even more. But Optimus held the urge, and looking at the extended arm before him, he sighed miserably and forced himself to wrap his servo around the crook.

Megatron rumbled once again, clearly pleased. Either he didn't notice Optimus' sorrow or didn't care about it, for he just straightened himself and with a little push began walking down the altar and afterwards the aisle alongside his bonded.

As they walked past the cheering crowd, the terrible warlord bent over slightly to say something into his mate's audio. "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" His tone was soft, almost as if he was doing it on purpose to make the Prime feel even more miserable. "We have become one at last, and you are going to stay by my side for all eternity, just like it was always meant to be."

Optimus snarled and turned his helm away, earning a chuckle from the other. "Just shut up," the growled. "I never did this for _you_ , anyways."

"Indeed, little Prime." Megatron purred. "But you did it either way."

The young Prime didn't have time to answer as they finally reached the large doors of the main hall. Halting just for a moment, two cadets opened them before the couple to expose them to an even bigger crowd of cheering 'bots.

Optimus felt a little dizzy from the audio-deafening roars and the way the media 'bots bathed him in camera flashes, but even that wasn't distraction enough to erase Megatron's last words from the Prime's processor.

_But you did it either way._

 

* * *

 

The reception was considerably more relaxed than the ceremony itself, Optimus noticed. Perhaps because everyone already had their assigned seats and were now enjoying a delicious and fancy meal, the only thing he had been allowed to choose in all this mess.

The East hall was chosen to held the feast, and everyone could tell it was quite a nice room. Colorful decorative lamps were placed strategically to give an elegant ambience light to complement the soft glow of Cybertron's moon at night, and different flower arrangements had been set all over the place and on the tables to match with the rest of the decorations.

A special table had been set up for Megatron and him, and from his spot, Optimus could make out some of the few 'bots he knew scattered around the other tables. There were two that were the closest to him; one was occupied by Ultra Magnus, Sentinel, Jazz, and other few memebers of the Council, the Autobot leader giving him occasional glances to make sure he was okay. The other one was occupied by his friends, who were practically staring at him and exchanging a few words among them. Either way, they always smiled to their leader when their optics met and were always alert in case there was an emergency.

On the other tables, he saw Longarm Prime (who was looking at Megatron in a rather suspicious way, but Optimus didn't give it a second thought) with Blurr and Cliffjumper; Rodimus Prime with his team, and sadly, Starscream, Blitzwing and Lugnut arguing over a secluded corner.

He took a glance at Megatron, who was surprisingly calm as he drank some fine high-grade energon blend from a goblet. He didn't know what he was thinking, and he preferred not to know. He was probably dwelling on one of his sick and twisted ideas.

"Tell me, little Prime" the warlord interrupted the blissful silence that had surrounded Optimus, "how long did you think you'd be able to hide from me?"

This time, Optimus didn't even bother to supress the growl that formed on his vocalizer. "Long enough for you to go to the Pits."

Megatron just chuckled. Good, that meant his little Prime hadn't lost that fire that he loved so much. Swirling his goblet in one hand, he continued. "I must say, even if your hiding place wasn't the best, it took me quite a while to find out where you were."

"Pity for you." Optimus spat, looking away and trying to ignore the looming prescence next to him. His... _bonded_ , as much as he hated to use that term, uttered another hateful chuckle.

"Indeed. But now, I have you right where I wanted, and you -or anyone- won't be able to stop me from taking what is rightfully _mine_." He purred, placing a servo over Optimus' belly hidden by the cloak and rubbing in gentle circles.

This time, the young Prime looked down. How many times had he been hurt by that very servo? And yet here he was, touching him as if they were just any other bonded couple without a long history of abuse behind them!

The worst part, his sparklings seemed to recognize that servo. Or more specifically, they recognized that energy signature. The one that had enveloped them completely not too long ago, one that stated him as their Sire and made himself present in their sparks.

The little ones gave a happy kick beneath the plating, shifting more than they had ever before as if trying to lean closer to the touch. "I hate you" Optimus stated, ignoring his sparklings just this once and looking away. "I never wanted any of this."

"You may not want my touch," Megatron began, still stroking the other's bulged abdomen despite his discomfort. "But my sparklings do. And now, as your mate, I have every right to claim them as my own. Just as the many others we will have. You will bear them, and you will love them, even if you never feel that emotion towards me."

Optimus didn't know what to answer to that. As much as he hated to admit it... he was right; even if he wasn't able to stop the tyrant from turning him into a sparkling factory, he'd _always_ love his young ones a hundred times more than their Sire.

"Now, why don't you try to relax and enjoy yourself for once? The show is about to start..." Megatron purred, at long last releasing his bonded's belly and turning his attention to the center of the room.

Optimus' curiosity got the better of him and he succumbed, turning to look at the center of the hall were a group of musicians were setting up a few chairs and tuning up their instruments. Was this Ultra Magnus' choice or perhaps Megatron's?

Either way, he was relieved. He had always believed Decepticons had some weird -and dangerous- customs, but some music wouldn't hurt anyone.

Just then, he heard a small cough by his side. Turning his helm, he startled a little when he met Prowl's shining form.

"Is everything okay?" The cyber-ninba asked. It was not the first time one of his friends had approached to check on him, and it certainly made Optimus feel safer.

The tricoloured mech sighed. "It's getting worse." He whispered. "He's already starting to talk slag"

Prowl hummed, giving a discreet glance at the warlord. Luckily, his attention wasn't on them. "Why don't you sit with us for a while? I don't think there's anything that says you can't do so."

"I wished I could," Optimus replied bitterly. "But I'm supposed to enjoy the show with my 'bonded', and if I don't, it might be an offense to both the musicians and the guests."

Prowl nodded in apprehension. "I wish I could take your place." That comment made his leader smile. "But sadly, the only thing left I can do is to wish you luck and remind you that we're over there if you need anything."

Optimus smiled warmly and nodded, earning a small smile from his friend before he turned on his heels and left.

As he was left with his mate once again, he slumped slightly on the large, comfortable chair he was sitting in and huffed.

Looking for something to distract himself, Optimus directed his gaze to the glyph around his ring finger. It was still glowing brightly, and until then it ocurred to him to take a closer look at it.

It wasn't ink, for he ran his other fingers over it and it didn't smudge, but it was more like a biolight, like those artificial ones that came with upgrades. Humas would refer to it as a 'tattoo', if he was correct.

Either way, he noticed that it wasn't any glyph, no, it was a _word_. Or more specifically, a _name_. The thing that Jazz had applied him at the ceremony was Megatron's name in ancient Cybertronian. He could only guess that the same had been done to the warlord, but with _his_ name.

That was odd, he had never heard of this tradition before. Perhaps it was part of the Decepticon culture?

His curiosity wasn't enough to keep him entertained for long, and soon enough he found himself staring at the many guests that seemed to be enjoying themselves with the music and the delicious food that had been prepared.

Everyone, except him.

Optimus sighed. Frag, this was going to be a _long_ night.

 

* * *

 

He didn't know how long did it last but he knew it wasn't fast enough.

The party seemed to never have an ending, with the musicians playing increasingly up-beat songs that many of the guests danced to, some of them quietly chatting on the tables while some others were getting drunk on high-grade. A party that was full of greeting important 'bots he had never seen and the occasional check-up from his friends.

The worst of all, he had to share one of the Autobots' ancient rituals with Megatron. When he was younger he didn't have a problem with it and even found it cute, but now that he got to do it with the mech he hated the most, he only felt disgust and shame. They had to share a cube of high-grade, both of them drinking from it at the same time, and it was pretty embarassing not just because he had to stand on the tip of his pedes to reach the warlord's bent over-height, bu also because their faces were mere inches apart and he couldn't stand the smug and satisfied look on the bigger mech's optics.

He had wanted to punch him in the face so hard that even his own fist dented from the strength he used while clenching it, but he just couldn't. Not in front of all these guests and certainly _not_ in front of other three dangerous Decepticons.

The only thing he could do was to sit there, trying to ignore the bigger mech's prescence and retreating to the back of his processor, a place only _he_ could access and could spend as much time as he wanted dwelling on his own thoughts.

And just as he was doing so, he felt the warmth of a bigger body close to him, way too close for comfort and an oversized servo creeping its way onto his thigh, caressing and squeezing suggestively beneath the soft fabric of the cloak.

"I believe it is time for us to call it a night, don't you think, _my bonded_?" Megatron purred, lust filling his optics as he kept stroking his new mate's thigh, even when he uttered a grunt of annoyance and perhaps disgust.

"Don't even think about it" Optimus growled, giving the bigger mech the deepest glare he could manage. "It's still early for us to go." It really wasn't, but he couldn't think of another excuse to deny him the oportunity to take him to his berth.

Megatron's engines purred loudly and he leaned closer to nuzzle the back of the Prime's helm, making him grimace and shift away from the touch. "Well... If you don't want to go to our chambers, we can always do it here." He reached his servo out to give the red and blue mech's interface panel a single stroke, and that was enough to make him jolt violently and whip his helm in indignation.

"Are you out of your fragging processor?!" Optimus suddenly yelled, but luckily, the music was loud enough to engulf his sudden outburst and thus none of the guests noticed.

Megatron was merely amused by his mate's reaction. "Why, I thought you'd prefer to do it _here_ if you don't want to retire to our quarters."

Optimus blinked his optics a couple times before everything dawned on him. The fragger was trying to _blackmail_ him. He wanted him to 'accept' to go to their rooms otherwise he'd be humilliating him in public!

No, the Prime decided, he wasn't going to fall for Megatron's trick. He was just trying to manipulate him to do whatever he wanted, and he wasn't stupid enough to not notice.

He put on an indignated face, grimacing deeply and crossing his arms over his chest. "That is _not_ what I meant."

Megatron grinned and purred his engines. "Come on, little Prime. It's been a while since we've had some _fun_." He tried once again to reach out for the blue codpiece. "Or don't you want to fully consummate our bond?"

Optimus swatted away the intent servo and snarled. "Not if you're _forcing_ me."

Ultra Magnus watched the couple argue from his own table, concern filling his spark as he watched Megatron shift closer and closer to his bonded. From Optimus' expressions he could tell the warlord was up to something.

"Please excuse me for a cycle." He politely said to the other'bots sitting at the same table before standing up, making his way through the crowd of dancing and half-drunk Autobots and to the large table at the far end of the room.

The old mech announced his prescence with a discreet cough. Both mechs turned to look at him and while Optimus blushed and pulled away his gaze, Megatron sneered slightly.

"Megatron, Optimus Prime" he greeted with a bow of his helm, "I hope you are enjoying yourselves. Is everything to your liking?"

Optimus nodded. "Of course, sir. The fuel is delicious and the orchestra certainly plays magnificent melodies." He politely commented, forcing himself to smile. He was still upset for Megatron's behaviour, but was now glad that the Magnus had come to his aid.

"I've been to better celebrations." Megatron commented, glaring slightly at the Autobot Commander. "But as much as I'd like to stay, I think it is already time for us to retire to our quarters, if you don't mind." He finished with a devilish smirk, causing a little brew of anger start boiling inside the Magnus.

Ultra Magnus took a glance at the young Prime and could clearly see his distress. "The dark-cycle is still young, and the orchestra hasn't finished playing yet. Why don't you stay for a while more?" He tried, not missing the angry look the warlord shot at him. "I could order some more high-grade if you would like."

"No" Megatron snapped, making the younger mech jump beside him. "My _bonded_ is tired from today's activities and tomorrow a long day awaits us; he needs to be well-rested."

Ultra Magnus stared at the Decepticon leader with an unimpressed gaze, thinking of something else to say. Clearly Megatron wasn't going to change his mind, but he didn't want to just submit and agree with the warlord when Optimus was clearly scared.

The old mech sighed and walked around the table so he was now standing beside the Decepticon. "You better be careful with him." He murmured so Optimus wouldn't hear, but there was a dark tone in his voice. "Optimus Prime hasn't recovered from what _you_ did to him. Listen to me closely," he gripped one of the warlord's shoulders, tight enough to make small dents, "if you hurt him in any way, you will have to face _me_ before I take Optimus and his offspring away from you. _Understood_?"

Megatron narrowed his optics dangerously and roughly shook the other's servo off of him. With a snarl, he said, "I believe you made it clear the previous hundred times you warned me on our previous meetings." He stood up from the table, changing his expression slightly and changing his dark aura. "Now tell me, where can I find our quarters?"

Yes, Megatron was supposed to take Optimus and his team to his private estate on Kaon, but Ultra Magnus had order some bonding chambers to be set up there, on Fortress Maximus, thinking more on Optimus' comfort than anything. He believed the young Prime would be tired after the party, and instead of travelling to Kaon on the same night, he could rest here and leave the following day. Not only that, but to keep a close optic in case Megatrom got violent.

The old mech glanced at Optimus once more, giving him an apollogetic gaze before sighing. "I will send someone to escort you."

Megatron's engines purred and he smirked. That old Magnus better not try to stop him from completing his bond after whining for peace and the little Prime's safety for what felt like stellar-cycles. This Autobot-filled fortress wasn't _exactly_ the ideal place to take his conquest, but Magnus wouldn't have let him take the little Prime back to his ship. Ah well, that would have to do.

As Ultra Magnus called for said 'bot, Megatron called his own mechs.

[To me, my loyal Decepticons!]

[We're coming, oh glorious leader!] Lugnut immediately answered, and from the distance Megatron could see indeed Lugnut, Blitzwing and Starscream rising form their seats, perhaps a little overcharged but still conscious enough.

The mech Ultra Magnus had chosen to accompany the couple to their rooms was Jazz. He trusted the cyber-ninja and he believed Optimus did as well. That way if Megatron tried something, _anything_ , he'd let his superior know immediately and he'd be able to defend the young Prime until help arrived, plus it would serve him good to be with someone he trusted before being left alone with the warlord.

"This is Jazz, he will accompany you." The Magnus presented the ninjabot, whose visor was darkened with anger and hatred for the Decepticon tyrant. He didn't bother to hide it, but he didn't try anything else in case he got violent.

The Magnus could already see the small form of Optimus trembling, filling his spark with sorrow. He apprached him and placed a gentle servo on his shoulder, making him look up with scared optics.

"Optimus Prime" he started, although his tone was soft and soothing, "if Megatron hurts you in any way, you will let me know. Understood?"

The young Prime swallowed thickly. Could he do that? He didn't want to interface _ever again_... but it looked like he had to do so to finally complete the bonding ritual. So, he forced himself to nod.

Ultra Magnus rubbed his shoulder plating with his thumb before releasing him, watching with grim optics how Megatron got a hold of his much smaller servo. "Have a good night." He finally concluded, stepping back to let the couple retire.

Megatron gave him one last look before walking off with his bonded behind Jazz, his three top lieutenants following closely after. That caught the Magnus' attention, but it was too late to object. The six mechs were already making their way outside the East hall.

Walking back to his table, the only thing Ultra Magnus had left to do was to pray to Primus for Optimus' safety.

 

* * *

 

The trip to their rooms was rather quiet, the small chatter between the three Decepticon soldiers the only thing audible. Jazz had tried to reach for Optimus, but Megatron had growled and pulled the smaller mech closer to himself, so talking to him was out of the question, sadly. However, he tried flaring his energy field, offering comfort and encouragement, and to his delight it was returned, although with some hints of fear.

The corridors were practically empty. Some 'bots had taken the evening off while the rest was at the party, but luckily for them that meant the others couldn't look at them with their curious or criticizing gazes.

They were half-way there when something unexpected happened.

"Megatron."

There was a calm and serene voice echoing through the empty halls, one that the Decepticons didn't recognize but the Autobots sure did.

The six mechs turned around the face the source of the voice and were surprised to see Prowl standing there, his plating glinting in the light and his expression stoic.

Blitzwing's head spun. "What are you doing here, Auto-bug?!" He demanded in his Hothead personality, giving a threatening step forward.

Optimus and Jazz shot him some scared and confused looks. Why would he be here? And why did he adress Megatron _specifically_?

"Please, I just want to have a word with you." The ninjabot said, calmly as ever. Megatron raised an optic ridge, actually taken back by this. He _barely_ knew that mech, so why would _he_ want to talk to him?

Before their leader could answer, Lugnut stepped front. "Back off, Autobot scum! Our glorious master doesn't have time to deal with-"

"Silence, Lugnut."

The big bomb plane cut off his rambling and turned to look at his leader, bowing his helm submissively as he stepped back once again.

Megatron stood proud and tall in front of the smaller cyber-ninja, smirking down at his ridiculous size compared to his. After examining him for a few nano-kliks, he finally spoke again. "Blitzwing, Lugnut, Starscream, take the little Prime to my quarters." His optics flashed upon seeing the scared look on the black and golden mech's face, "I will be there in a moment."

"As you command, Lord Megatron." Blitzwing politely said before turning around and snatching Optimus up, earning a yelp from him as he was thrown over the triple-changer's shoulder as if he was a bag of platimun-potatoes.

His helm spun again and revealed a red face. "You heard him, Auto-bug! Lead the vay!"

Jazz was surprised by this. He wanted to object, but he didn't in fear that the large Decepticon would harm Optimus. At the same time, he didn't want to leave Prowl alone with Megatron...

[Go, he won't harm me. I know what I'm doing.] Prowl quietly commed Jazz, giving him a small reassuring smile. [Tell Optimus that we love him.]

That last comment tore at Jazz's spark. He talked about Optimus as if he was going to offline, but he couldn't blame him. All of them knew the pain Optimus had gone through and there was no doubt he was going to experience it again. They wished they could do something to prevent it, but there was no other option. Megatron wanted Optimus and no one else.

"What are you waiting for, Autobot? We haven't got all dark-cycle!" Starscream screeched, flaring his wings agressively.

Ignoring the loud seeker, the black and white mech gave his friend a court nod, smiling back at him faintly before turning around and renewing his walk, motioning the 'Cons to follow with a wave of his servo.

Once they were gone, Prowl directed his attention to the much larger mech standing in front of him. His optics raked unintentionally over his strong frame, unable to supress a shiver that ran up his spine. He couldn't help but feel bad for Optimus.

"Well?" Megatron asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "What is it that you want from me, _Autobot_?"

Prowl struggled for words. How could he voice it without being disrespectful? All he wanted to do was to _kill_ him, avenge him for all he did to his leader, but he couldn't. Master Yoketron had taught him otherwise, plus there was nothing he could do to prevent Optimus' close fate.

So, taking a deep vent, he started. "I... I _know_ what you're going to do with Optimus." The low rumble of Megatron's engines made him scowl, and he didn't bother to hide it.

"So... If you're not going to make sure he enjoys it," he reached for his subspace and took out an object, large for him but probably small for the Decepticon. "At least don't hurt him... please."

Megatron looked down at the Autobot quizzcally before bending down and taking the small object from his hands, examining it for a bit before smirking and subspacing it himself.

"Please, that... T-That is all I ask of you." Prowl stated, stuttering a bit while keeping his gaze locked on the pair of red optics before him.

"Oh, don't worry, Autobot" Megatron purred with that annoying smirk of his, "your leader will be taken care of _very_ thoroughly."

Prowl clenched his fists in frustation. What he wouldn't give to just punch this bastard right in the face.

Forcing his anger down, Prowl simply nodded firmly and turned on his heels to return to the party, back to the safety of his comrades.

Megatron watched the little mech walk off for a while before chukling to himself. Primus, these Autobots were simply _ridiculous_. Acting like the good guys in this world and blaming the Decepticons for all bad things that happened, but once they met once face to face they were quick to tuck their tails away in fear. Pathetic.

Ah, but this was no time to dwell on that. He had a _much_ _more_  enjoyable task at hand, something he had waited to do for some time now.

Purring loudly, he turned around and made his way down the halls to catch up with the others, silently imagining all the things he would do to the little Prime once he had him back in his servos.

 

* * *

 

Optimus kept squirming and kicking the rest of the trip under Blitzwing's grasp. He had aimed for the triple-changer's face, but he failed every time. He aslo grew annoyed of large hands touching him suggestively, as if having Megatron groping him wasn't enough.

His spark sank once the bigger mechs came to a halt and there was the sound of a door unlocking, and grimly he realised that they had already reached the berthroom.

Fear started spiking up in his neural network when the Decepticon carrying him started walking further more, leaving the other two 'Cons and Jazz behind as they entered a dark room.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Optimus asked in distress. As he was facing Blitzwing's back he couldn't see what was a head of them, but taking in the few shapes he could see of his surroundings, he could only guess that they were heading for the berth.

"I'm just going to leave you here until Megatron arrives." The 'Con said calmly, thankfully in his Icy personality that made him be reasonable enough as not to do anything reckless.

The Decepticon purred loudly once he took in the large, comfortable-looking berth. Oh, he could only imagine how much _fun_ his leader would have tonight.

"You're a pretty zing. If you veren't bonded to our leader I vould be keeping you for myself." Blitzwing mused, patting Optimus' aft and earning a squeak from him. "You've got a nice aft. I bet he pounds you right into ze berth."

Optimus blushed at that last comment. "Shut up." He growled. He didn't want to hear what that monster would be doing to him, and certainly _not_  from another perverted mech's mouth.

Blitzwing merely chuckled and unceremoniously dropped him on the berth, making the young Prime yelp in surprise and bounce slightly.

The triple changer smiled down at the small Autobot. This was a nice view. Too bad he was already taken. Ah well, he'd have to look for another pretty Autobot for himself.

Without any other comment, he turned around and started heading for the entrance, calling out an "I hope you can valk in the morning!" with a mocking cackle before sliding the door shut behind him and leaving Optimus alone in the darkness.

Once outside, Blitzwing looked around and was surprised not to see Jazz with them. "Vhere's ze ozer Autobot?" He asked to the other two mechs, one wearing his usual scowl and the other just staring out a large window.

"We ordered him to leave. We can take care of things from here." Starscream said with a shrug.

Blitzwing simply hummed in response, leaning against a wall to wait for their leader to arrive.

Luckily (for them, at least), it didn't take him long.

A few cycles passed and Megatron's loud pedesteps echoed through the hall and soon the great grey mech came into view. Blitzwing and Lugnut stood to attention while Starscream remained where he was, with his arms crossed over his chest and his unpolite scowl.

"Master, how may we serve you?" Lugnut asked, bowing his helm slightly.

Megatron came to a halt in front of his soldiers and glanced at the door. "You will guard the door for tonight." He ordered firmly. "Make sure _not a single Autobot_ interrupts us."

The two mechs nodded while Starscream just rolled his optics. "Is the Autobot in there?" Megatron asked, pointing to the door. Blitzwing smirked. "Yes, my Lord. He's already vaiting for you."

Megatron grinned. "Good. You are _not_ to disturb us either. Understood?"

"Of course, Lord Megatron. Enjoy yourself and have a good night." Lugnut politely said, sliding the door open for him and bowing down.

The warlord gave a court nod and stepped inside the dark room without bothering to look back. He locked the door behind him, he couldn't have his little Prime running away or someone else breaking in.

The room was dark, but it wasn't hard to spot the two glowing orbs of Optimus' optics further into the room, nor his energy field rippling with fear.

Megatron smirked to himself. This was going to be _fun_. He had his conquest there on a silver platter just for him to take, and he was going to enjoy _every single_ nano-klik of it.

"Finally alone." Megatron rumbled as he made his way to the berth. As he got closer it got easier to make out the shape of Optimus' frame laying on his side with the beautiful fabric of the cloak sprawled over him, knees as close to his belly as he could manage and a pair of fearful -but brave- optics looking up at him. His venting was already laboured, mostly from panic than arousal, but Megatron couldn't care less.

Keeping his optics locked with the other's, the Decepticon leader climbed onto the berth and began crawling closer to the Autobot. Said mech just growled and began pulling himself back and far away from the bigger brute, who chuckled upon seeing the panicked look on his optics once he hit the headboard and realised there was nowhere else to go.

"Stop running, little Prime." Megatron purred, reaching out for a leg before this one kicked out. Optimus was now glaring down at him, trying to kick him off and away. He aimed for his helm, but his blows were dodged with infuriating ease.

Megatron smirked as he watched the little Autobot kick out and growl, it was certainly fun to watch. He let him struggle for a while before he successfully caught a blue ped in the air and used it to his advantage to pull his conquest closer and below his own body.

Optimus growled in frustration as he felt himself be dragged and soon he found himself under Megatron, the grey mech looming over him like a beast preparing to devour its prey. The bigger body prevented him from escaping but it didn't keep him from thrashing and punching with his hands.

"G-Get off me, you s-sick beast!" He demanded, throwing punches while searching for the warlord's weak spot: his audios, his chest, his stomach, but he didn't seem to give in no matter how hard he punched. In fact, it only served to amuse him.

Megatron released a booming laugh. Oh, how he had missed a little body squirming beneath him. It was enough to start revving his systems up. "What a feisty little Autobot..." he purred, running a hand down Optimus' face to caress the soft plating.

Optimus growled and tried to bite the digits so close to his intake, but they were dodged once more. He could _see_ the filthy smirk on the other's face, taking pleasure from watching him panic and struggle to get him off of him.

"S-Stop! Stop touching me!" Optimus demanded once more, kicking out his pedes and striking the other's thighs, but it didn't seem to affect him in the slightless. His resistance was simply  _annoying_.

"Oh, little Prime, don't you understand?" Megatron asked in a dark voice, taking the smaller mech's helm in his hands and pulling it so they were face to face. "You are _mine_ now. You are my bonded, you now officially belong to _me_." He smirked at the other's scowl. "And there's *nothing* you can do to stop me from taking what I _want_."

With that said, he crushed his mouth with Optimus', muffling the surprised yelp with his lips as he ravaged the small opening with fervor.

Optimus' optics widened and he couldn't think for a moment, but eventually his strength came back to him and he began to punch and push the other's chestplates to no avail. A muffled cry left him as a large glossa was pushed down his throat, hungrily stroking the insides of his mouth and making him choke.

The young Prime tried to push out the offending appendage with his own glossa, but it only served to fuel the Decepticon's pleasure even more. A low moan of delight was emmitted from the warlord's vocaliser as he pulled away to nip and suckle at soft lips, relishing on the still struggling body beneath him and the sweet taste of his mate.

Optimus gasped for air once his intake was released, making it perfect for the larger mech to attack his soft and plump lips. He tried to shake his helm away from the contact, but Megatron followed his movements.

He soon found large hands roaming all over his body, moving from his chestplates down to his belly, groping his aft and finally settling between his legs.

Optimus' optics shot wide open and he released a surprised cry as his aft was squeezed _hard_ , making him try to push the other off of him again but still not working. Megatron chuckled at this, capturing his intake for another kiss as he kept roughly fondling his aft.

Optimus began to panic once he felt intent servos trying to find the seams of his panel, kicking out more violently now and thrashing even harder than before. A kick to the warlord's groin made him actually grunt in pain, giving him the perfect opportunity to break the kiss and claw at the berth to get away from the Decepticon.

Sadly for him, Megatron was quick to recover and got a hold of his hips, yanking them back into place and beggining to claw more insistently at the seams of his interface panel.

"No! N-No, I won't give you that!" Optimus yelled, trying to push off Megatron's servos. Before he realised it, a hard blow was delivered to his helm, hard enough to leave his processor spinning for a while and forcing his systems to reboot a couple times.

This was enough distraction for Megatron to finally override the panel's locks and forcefully push aside the blue plating, revealing a dry and finally healed port.

Megatron's engines rumbled loudly at the sight and he licked his lips. For how long did he have to wait to finally touch that pretty valve again? Far too long for his liking, but not any more. The little Prime was _his_ now and was there for him to take however and whenever he wanted.

Optimus was still in the process of recovering from the blow when there was an odd feeling of something stroking his... his _valve_ , he realised grimly and looked down to see Megatron circling the rim of his port with his digit. "I wish I had saved your seal for this moment." The grey mech said almost casually, "But it matters not, I was the one to pop it anyways." 

"No! No, don't touch me there! Get the frag off of me!" He cried, kicking his legs furiously before having them pinned down by Megatron's strong servos. "Relax, little Prime. If you struggle it will only hurt more..." the grey mech purred before pushing his large digit all the way into his mate's port, relishing on the cry that left his vocaliser.

Optimus' body began to tremble, spark thumping hard beneath his chassis as he started to feel a little tired from all the fighting, but he wasn't going to give in. No, he wasn't going to allow that brute take whatever he wanted.

"Hm... so warm and _tight_. I can't wait to feel you around my length." Megatron said in a husky voice as he pumped his finger in and out of the quivering port, ignoring completely Optimus' anguished cries or his struggling.

His spike started to extend behind his plating as the soft walls of the valve began rippling around his finger. But sadly, there was nowhere near enough lubricant for him to get to the _fun_ part.

Oh, but he had the solution for that.

Optimus was getting increasingly tired as his body seemed to want the touches the great tyrant was administering to his port, and only until then it dawned on him that the carrying programming was still _active_.

Megatron looked up and was pleased to see his little Prime struggling less and less, small drops of coolant sliding down his forehelm and little spots of steam leaving his frame as he panted for air. Frag, he looked _hot_.

Finally removing his digit, he crawled up until he was straddling the Autobot, admiring his tired frame with lustfull optics. Still, Optimus glared at him, making an effort to push him off but he was getting weaker by the second.

"Why don't you try to lay back and enjoy it for once?" Megatron purred, roaming his hands all over Optimus' chest and earning an angered growl in return. "F-Frag you" Optimus spat through gritted denta "I get n-no pleasure from your... your _filthy_ servos."

"Hm, we're about to see that." The Decepticon smirked, touching red chestplates some more until his optics fell on the brooche keeping the cloak secure. "Let's take this off. As much as I _love_ seeing you with it, you won't need it."

He reached for the brooch and undid the cloak, roughly taking it off Optimus' frame and tossing it aside. This left Optimus in a very bad position, all exposed and vulnerable under the interface-starved warlord.

Megatron sat back to admire his conquest some more. Optimus lay there beneath him, with beautiful golden jewelry adorning his helm and wrists, a rounded belly full of his young, valve exposed and ready for him to sink in and a firey look on his optics.

It was enough to make his spike finally spring from its casing. Optimus' frame froze as he (unwantedly) looked down at the hard appendage, feeling his valve clench in anticipation at the sheer size from it.

_Primus_ , Optimus thought. _Was it always that big? It's going to tear me apart!_

The warlord felt his spark swell with pride at the scared look on his bonded's face. Frag, he couldn't wait to finally have a taste of that little valve.

"Lucky for you, I am feeling _merciful_ today." He unsubspaced the object the ninjabot had given to him earlier, and using a servo to keep Optimus' legs spread, he unscrewed the cap with the other one.

Optimus tried to wiggle away but the grip on his legs was firm. He couldn't see what the warlord was doing from that angle, but soon there was _something_ tiny inside his valve and a rush of something wet and cold filling him followed, making him gasp and squirm in discomfort.

Megatron kept squeezing the tube of synthetic lubricant until he was satisfied, and that wasn't until it was leaking out of the small orifice. He pulled out the tube and screwed the cap again, tossing it aside just like the cloak. He thrust two fingers to make sure the lubricant coated the walls completely, but also to sample the tightness some more.

Optimus cried as he felt fingers stroke his insides once again, spreading the cold substance inside him even more. He whimpered and began kicking at the other's hip to push him off, but he was already too weak to do anything else.

"That cyber-ninja from your team gave me this." Megatron said casually as he kept pumping his digits. "You should be grateful, I would have gone dry with you instead."

Optimus' processor barely registered the words, for it was too busy strugling with all the emotions and unwanted touches being administered to his body. So Prowl gave Megatron... whatever was inside his valve? He supposed it should be something to help with the pain, and of course he had to remind himself to thank him later.

Megatron pulled out his digits once he was satisfied and licked them clean, purring loudly before spreading the other's silver-white thighs as wide as they went and positioning himself in front of the now-wet port.

Optimus' spark gave a jump upon feeling the blunt tip of the other's spike nudging his entrance, and he sat up in alarm just to be stopped by a larger frame.

"No! Megatron, I- No! Please don't, I- AAAAAAHH!" He tried pleading but was interrupted by the white-hot pain of penetration, arching his back and screaming as Megatron forced his spike through his tight walls and seated himself completely inside him.

The Decepticon leader released a moan of delight as his pelvic plating finally touched the pretty blue aft. He had _missed_ the tightness of that little valve.

Optimus heaved large gulps of air, small tears already welling up in the corners of his optics as his valve spasmed in a bad attempt to adjust to the intruder. He wanted to kick and thrash and push the other off, but suddenly he found himself too weak to even lift an arm.

"Frag, you are _so_ tight..." Megatron purred, bucking his hips and earning another cry from his bonded.

"D-Don't move! Sto~p!" Optimus demanded, although his voice was now shaky and it came more like a sob. But Megatron didn't listen to him, he just kept bucking his hips and sending sparks of pain all through his body.

"Just relax, little Prime, and maybe it will start feeling good for you." The warlord said in a pleasure-laced voice, pushing the smaller mech onto the berth so he was laying flat on his back.

The carrying programming successfully kicked in upon onlining the interfacing protocols, practically leaving Optimus laying limply on the berth as the larger mech began thrusting at a pace faster than he was ready for. It was supposed to make the carrier as accessible as possible while keeping them still and unable to make sudden movements in order to prevent the carrier or the sparklings from getting hurt during the interface.

Agonizing pain crawled up Optimus' spine with each drag and push of the large spike, unable to stop himself from crying out in both pain and anger. He tried to fight back but his body seemed to lock on himself, the most he could do was to shift and do small movements.

He pulled himself up to his elbows, watching through pained optics Megatron growling and grunting in pleasure as he pistoned his spike in and out of the tight channel.

"I-I hate you..." Optimus cursed, flinching when a particularly hard thrust hit him, "I... I wish you were... o-offline, AH!"

"Too bad, little Prime" Megatron grunted, picking his pace up and hearing another delightful cry from his conquest. "We are one now, and we will be together for all eternity..."

Optimus couldn't stop the tears from falling down his face at the reminder. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life with this beast, but he had already signed the papers and now had his name imprinted on his finger, his fate was sealed now.

The worst part was that it was a fate he had agreed to.

Megatron stopped his thrusting for a nano-klik to readjust himself, getting a firm grip of the Prime's waist before pulling out to the tip and slamming himself all the way back, pounding into the smaller mech as if he were a toy.

The Autobot's optics flared and he _screamed_ , the spike too big and too fast for his small valve that he felt he would be ripped apart at any moment now. He could even feel a trickle of something warm sliding down his aft and onto the berth, and he couldn't decide whether it was energon or lubricant. Considering his current situation though, it had to be the first option.

As Megatron brutally fragged the smaller mech he felt his charge starting to rise beneath his plating. There was only _one thing_ left to do before the little Prime was _completely_ his.

Without stopping his thrusts he reached for the Prime's chestplates, trying to find the seams that led to his spark chamber but so far failing. He had to stop thrusting and put his full attention on undoing the locks but he wasn't going to do that.

So instead he opened his own chestplates, revealing his large and fast-pulsing red orb that bathed his mate in red light. Optimus' optics widened even more and soon he felt his spark thumping even harder inside his chest.

"Open your chestplates..." Megatron commanded, still pounding into him and chasing his own overload. Optimus didn't comply at first, baring his denta despite the pain he was feeling and shooting up a glare with teary optics.

The warlord growled in frustration and thrust specifically hard to make the younger mech flinch and whimper. "Open your chestplates _now_!"

Disobeying was starting to look like a very bad idea right now. The thrusting was already painful, but to have his spark _forcefully_ taken sounded even worse. So Optimus reluctantly complied, slowly parting his chestplates to reveal his smaller and equally fast-pulsing blue orb of life.

The Decepticon leader could feel his overload coming closer and closer, and not wasting a single nano-klik more, he bent down and slammed his chest with the Prime's, immediately feeling the rush of energy course through his systems.

Time seemed to freeze for Optimus as a looming prescence suddenly invaded his spark, a strong and pulsing wave of energy like nothing he had felt before consuming his very existence. Even if his body seemed to accept it, his processor certainly _didn't_.

_Begone_

Megatron, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying _everything_. His pace grew erratic and somewhat furious, forcing wave after wave of spark energy into his mate's spark as he relished on the tight port steadily contracting around his length.

_Your tracks tingle and force me to scratch_

The warlord pulled the small mech onto his lap, allowing him to dive deeper into his port while also giving him the opportunity to grope and caress that beautiful body of his.

_Don't look back_

Optimus couldn't even find his voice to scream or cry or even beg, even if he was painfully aware of everything surrounding him he was lost in the wave of confusion in his spark.

_Sensation_

"Soon we will finally be one, my little Prime" Megatron growled, chasing away his overload that was just a few thrusts away. Optimus didn't say anything, but he had started to weakly try and push the other off of him while more tears escaped his optics.

_My nerves detach and burst into climax_

With a hitch of his vents, Megatron buried himself as deep as he could inside his bonded and unleashed his overload with a loud roar, the noise finally pulling the young Prime out of his trance and making him react at last, crying out as what felt like white-hot molten lead filled his valve up to bursting and even spurted out to stain his once-pristine thighs and Megatron's pelvic plating.

_My senses collapse_

However, it wasn't over with the physical overload. Their sparks were still going and Optimus could feel a strange and powerful connection forming between them, as if the energy was intertwining to become a single lace.

_Consciences dispatch_

Little by little he became aware of emotions that weren't his, emotions of delight and pleasure and dirty _satisfaction_ that couldn't belong to anyone else but Megatron. The warlord as well began to feel the other's emotions, from the pain to the anger to the sorrow.

_Gone with your touch_

At long last the energy surrendered and allowed the two mechs to separate from eachother, Optimus immediately falling back to the berth and forcing the spike inside him to detach.

Both mechs were panting heavily, painfully aware of eachother's emotions now that their spark bond was completed.

Megatron watched hungrily Optimus' over-stretched port steadily gushing out thick globs of transfluid mixed with energon, only serving to fuel his satisfaction even more. He knew Optimus had felt it too when he released a small anguished sob.

Optimus was utterly _exhausted_. The adrenaline of the fight plus the unwanted interface and the spark merge on top of that were making his systems slowly start to shut down, his body growing lax and conciousness slowly fading.

"You are _mine_ , little Prime. Even after death you will _always_ belong to me." It was the last thing he heard Megatron say before his systems gave up and he fell into a deep and uneasy reacharge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEADCANON: Bonding glyphs
> 
> Instead of using wedding rings, Cybertronian couples that are getting bonded imprint eachother's name in ancient Cybertronian around their finger, wrist or neck, known as 'bonding glyphs'. It becomes like another biolight in the 'bots body and is permanent (not removable).
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> -Rolling_girl27


	5. Like Puppet Strings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaah I'm so sorry for the massive delay! I had a terrible writer's block that I couldn't get rid of (T_T) but I'm back now!
> 
> Please enjoy!  
> -Rolling_girl27

Optimus woke up to an aching frame. His body hurt all over, especially his hips and legs, but the winner of all pains was the one coming from his port. Burning agony crawling up from his pelvic area and to the rest of his body bad enough to make him squirm in discomfort.

He was completely enveloped in the warmth of the blankets, which seemed to be the only thing that felt right at the moment. There was an odd pulsing in his spark, but it wasn't painful, so he paid it no mind.

Rubbing his sore pelvic area thoughtfully, Optimus onlined his optics. The room was well-lit already, giving him the chance to check his surroundings. It was decorated in nice, sober colors, complete with fancy furniture and a door that most likely led to the washracks.

He attempted to shift but by doing so he became aware of the weight resting on his back.

Peeking over his shoulder, his spark froze upon seeing the peaceful features of the Decepticon leader recharging soundly. His helm was tucked between his shoulder and his neck, looking as if nothing could disturb him in the world.

Optimus' spark gave a pulse and it fluttered, unconciously reaching out for the warmth and comfort of his mate's own. Perhaps his body welcomed the closeness, but his mind certainly didn't.

Scrunching up his face, he began clawing desperately at the large hands draped over his waist. As soon as they loosened their grip, the young mech jumped out of the berth, only realising too late that he was still tangled with the blankets before he fell to the floor with a devastating clank.

The sudden noise woke Megatron up, the large mech stirring groggily on the berth as Optimus scrambled to get up. He managed to kick the blankets off of him but he couldn't find the strength to get to his pedes as the pain in his body only seemed to intensify.

"Prime...?" Megatron asked, confused. The spot where he had laid his mate was empty, and the blankets were gone. However, he caught a glimpse of cherry red just beside the berth, along with panicked gasps and slight cursing.

Optimus gawked lightly as the warlord peeked over the edge of the berth, immediately dragging himself back and away from the looming mech and leaving a trail of fluids behind him as he did.

"Frag off" the young mech hissed, "J-Just frag right off!"

Megatron blinked once before sighing. He pulled the remaining blankets off of his frame and stood up, the previous innocence that he had radiated in his sleep replaced by menacing Decepticon glory.

He made his way over to his mate on the floor, ignoring his protests and curses. Optimus began kicking wildly as soon as he came into reach, but he was easy to dodge.

"You shouldn't have got up yet" the grey mech said as he picked his angry mate from the floor, feigning concern. "Your body needs to rest."

"I don't want to! Just put me down!" Optimus argued, punching at broad chestplates and squirming as best as he could, though it wasn't much due to the soreness.

"Now, now, don't be like that. It's our first day together and you want to start it like this?" Megatron chided as he made his way back to the berth.

"I don't care what fragging day it is" Optimus snapped. "Just release me! I don't want you near me!"

The Decepticon tsked. "What an unruly mate, so defiant... but I like it." Watching amusedly the Prime's attempts to get away, he climbed onto the berth and laid him down beside him, holding him in place as he picked the blankets from the floor and extended them before pulling them over his and his mate's bodies.

Was that how it was going to be from now on? With Megatron ignoring all of his protests and doing whatever he liked in spite of his own discomfort? Well, he didn't know why it surprised him though, because that was the way that bastard had been treating him all along.

"Lie down, little Prime. It's still early to pull out your rants like this." Megatron said in a calm tone, decided to go back to recharge with his mate at his side. Optimus blinked once, and then snarled as he fiercely pushed the other away.

"I don't want to lie down with you!" He burst out, beggining to kick the Primus-damned blankets off of him once more. "Leave me alone, Megatron!"

Megatron narrowed his optics and growled, clearly displeased by the Prime's rebellious act. Before the smaller mech could get away, he reached out and snatched him by the waist, hearing an angered cry escape from his vocalizer before he pinned him on the berth.

"Let me go! L-Let me go now, you monster!" Optimus began wildly thrashing in spite his own pain, baring his denta and kicking at whatever he could reach from his bonded's lower body. He was so sick of this, to have to endure Megatron's perverse fancies as if he was nothing more than an object, and the fact that they were mates now didn't mean he had the right to keep doing so.

"You just need to calm down." Megatron said in an increasingly annoyed tone. He was watching the thrashing mech beneath him, unamused. He loved the fire in Optimus and always enjoyed dominating him, but it could get on his nerves sometimes.

Optimus ignored him and kept squirming and snarling like an injured mechanimal, steadily growing more tired and tired but that wasn't going to stop him. Megatron thought he could take whatever he wanted, but he didn't know that Prime wasn't an object for his pleasure anymore.

"Get off me, you sick glitch! I-I don't want you near me!"

"Stop making such a fuss" Megatron growled, now struggling to keep the wildly thrashing Autobot in place without getting dangerously close to his abdomen. "You are going to hurt the sparklings."

That last sentence struck Optimus _hard_. He froze in his place, optics wide and vents whirring to try and disperse the heat on his body. A smirk appeared on Megatron's lips at the triumph of pushing the right button to control his prey.

"Too much harsh movement can cause serious damage to the little ones." The Decepticon Lord practically murmured, gripping the blue wrists with one of his massive servos as the other one travelled downwards to the Prime's swollen midriff, drawing gentle circles with his thumb. "And you don't want that, right?"

Optimus didn't answer, he just laid there panting and listening to what the Decepticon had to say. He felt as if he had been split in two; one part of him was angry for letting himself be manipulated while the other was scared, mainly because what Megatron had said was true and there was the risk of him harming his sparklings.

"In that case, be a good little mate and remain still for me." Megatron purred before dipping down his helm to begin kissing his bonded's silver neck. The touch seemed to pull Optimus out of his trance, making him flinch as if he had been scalded. He knew where was Megatron going, but taking in the implicit threat from before, all he could do was release a whine of distress.

The grey mech traced the blue and red chassis beneath him with interest, suckling on a sensitive neck cable. "Sh... just let me take care of you." He nuzzled the side of the Prime's helm, an intimate touch that lacked of affection. Just like everything else in their relationship.

The dark servo began making its way further downwards, massaging the hip joints for a while before shamelessly moving towards the codpiece. His conquest's valve was still bared, and he wasted no time in reaching out for the rim.

The sudden contact stung, making Optimus jerk and hiss in pain. He only received a 'reassuring' kiss on the neck in return, though the ministrations didn't subside.

He could feel the warlord's engine purring on top of his own, his spark pulsing contentedly almost as if he relished in his mate's fear. The emotions flowing through the bond were strange to cope with, it felt as if he was reading his bondmate's mind.

Megatron's light exploring of the Prime's outer valve rim came to a halt. The tips of his digits were stained with their mixed fluids from their last session, though it only served to increase his arousal. Not wasting a nano-klik more, he reached further down and dipped the tip of his digit inside.

The motion created a whole new world of pain for Optimus. The touch -as light as it was- made his inner valve throb in pain with an intensity he had never felt before, so bad that he shrieked.

Megatron startled at the sudden reaction and finally let go completely of his mate, watching with surprised and confused optics as the smaller 'bot squirmed and cried beneath him.

"What... w-what happened? Tell me!" He asked in desperation.

"I-It hurts, it hurts!" The Prime whined, rolling to his side and immediately regretting his decision. The pain was slightly more bearable when he was laying on his back.

Megatron's face formed a snarl as he ran a servo over his brow. He reached for his audial fin and immediately commed one of his mechs.

[Lugnut, get us a medic. Immediately!]

[Right away, Lord Megatron!]

And as the big Decepticon bolted off to fetch what he had been asked, Megatron could only look down at his agonizing mate and wonder just how was he going to explain this to Ulra Magnus.

* * *

As soon as Ratchet heard Megatron was in need for a medic, he had dropped what he was doing and bolted off to the bonding chambers, horrible scenarios of what could have happened to their young leader flashing in his processor.

In less than a click he reached said chambers and didn't even bother to acknowledge the other Decepticons' prescence. Starscream was the one to try to stop him. "What are you doing here, you Auto-scum?!" He demanded to know as he gave a step forward.

"Get the frag out of my way!" Ratchet snarled before harshly shoving the seeker aside. Using his medical protocols he overrode the door's lock and wasted no time in getting inside, looking frantically everywhere until he spotted the crying and thrashing Prime.

He ran towards his spot on the berth, quickly taking out a syringe from his medical kit and carefully injecting a mild sedative on the Prime's neck. Luckily, this one calmed down fast.

"It's okay kid, it's okay... I'm here" the medic murmured, gently stroking the red and blue mech's shoulder. Optimus' optics flickered, clouded by the effects of the sedative but still able to see. "Ratchet..." he breathed out, pain crystal clear in his voice. It broke the old mech's spark.

"What the frag happened?!" Ratchet yelled just as he turned around to look at the warlord. His optics were blazing a bright blue filled with fury, and his snarl was the fiercest one Megatron had ever seen on an Autobot.

"I touched him and he said it hurt." Megatron explained in a calm voice, almost as if he wasn't interested in the matter at hand.

"I wonder why..." the red and white mech growled, glaring at the warlord with pure hatred. "Now, let me see what you've done."

Cycles later, after examining Optimus' joints and interface array, Ratchet came to a conclusion. Engine revving with rage, he took the largest wrench in his medical kit and immediately threw it to the Decepticon, successfully catching him off-guard and hitting his helm.

"YOU BASTARD! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HIM?!" Ratchet yelled, taking more of his supplies and throwing them at the larger mech in a fit of rage. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT THE MAGNUS SAID?!"

Megatron flinched lightly as a rain of objects hit his frame, his patience growing thinner by the second. He snarled, looking down at the smaller mech with his evil red optics. "I perfectly know what Ultra Magnus said."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU STICK TO THAT?!" Ratchet bit out, snarling like a feral mechanimal. "NOW I HAVE TO TAKE HIM TO THE MEDBAY AND FIX WHAT YOU BROKE, YOU IDIOT!"

* * *

Mega-cycles later, Optimus began slowly waking up once again. He felt heavy and dizzy, though nothing hurt anymore. Or at least not with the same intensity as before. His vision was very blurry, he barely could make out the shapes of the two mechs in the room.

" _...and NO INTERFACING until the sparklings are born! He needs to be in perfect, healed condition to have them, so if you know what's best for you and your offspring, KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF! DO YOU HEAR ME?!_ "

He recognized that voice... it was Ratchet.

There was a low growl, so deep that it vibrated through his spinal strut. It came alongside an angered wave of energy through the bond, so he could only guess that both had come from Megatron.

" _You'd better._ " Ratchet said darkly. " _Now frag off! Go make the preparations you needed or whatever._ " There was another small growl and then stomping, the noise going further and further away until it disappeared.

In that moment Optimus began groaning and stirring, bringing a blue servo up to his pounding helm as he tried to sit. The medic immediately acknowledged him and rushed over to his side, taking one of his servos and using his free one to support his back. "Easy, easy there, kid."

"Argh... Wh-Where am I?" Optimus asked once he got his optics to properly work. "In the medbay." Ratchet answered simply. "How are you feeling?"

"Ngh- heavy..." the Prime groaned, shifting a little in his place. He felt as if he hadn't recharged in stellar-cycles, though in truth he didn't know for how long he was out. "Did something happen?"

Ratchet sighed heavily. "Yes, something happened. Something _fragging_ happened." The young mech waited for his friend to continue, and he already had a bad idea of what was he about to say.

"That fragging lowlife 'Con... He threatened to open fire in the city if Ultra Magnus nullified your bonding certificate."

Optimus' spark seemed to freeze. His optics shot wide open and his mouth gaped, unable to move or even react at all.

"He played his cards well, _very_ well, that bastard." Ratchet shook his helm. "After I told the Magnus all the damage that monster did to you, naturally, his first decision was to take away the custody of you and your sparklings. But then, Megatron said that if he nullified your bonding certificate _and_ the peace treaty, the Autobots more than likely would express their discontent through a civil war, something the Magnus wouldn't be able to control-" he paused for a moment, "and that it wouldn't help that he and his soldiers were still in the city."

Optimus remained speechless for a while more before his expression began softening to give place to worry and distress. The old mech sighed bitterly. "I wish I could've done something else, but the answer was clear... Everything would end up in disaster if the Magnus refused."

Understandment started dawning on Optimus. This all was just like the initial threat, he had to give himself or else his own race would pay. He didn't blame the Magnus though, he had a duty with Cybertron and it was to protect it, and right now he was the key individual for that safety, so he should've seen it sooner.

"That fragging bastard... Somehow, he  _always_ finds a way of getting what he wants." The medic growled, keeping his optics fixed on the floor. 

"Don't be surprised." Optimus said in a grim tone. "It has always been like this, even when he was keeping me prisoner. He wants  _me_ and nothing in the world is going to make him change his mind." Pausing for a moment, he let out a depressed sigh. "I don't even know why am I still resisting. It's not like anyone can save me from this fate."

Soon he found his blue servos being grasped by a pair of red and white ones. "Maybe the Magnus couldn't save you," Ratchet directed his gentle optics towards the Prime's own. "but you still have _us_. As long as we are still functioning, we won't let that bastard lay a servo on you. That's why we're coming along, to protect you." His lips formed a small smile. "That is our new mission."

Optimus remained quiet for a while. In truth, he didn't know what to feel right now. Sure, he should be happy that his team was there to help him, but that didn't change the fact that he was still going to live and raise a family with a mech he hated and he couldn't do  _anything_ about it, he had just witnessed the proof of that.

Nothing of this was going to make him happy, that was clear. But still, he couldn't let his team down. So in the end, he just smiled at the medic, murmuring softly "Thank you, Ratchet."

* * *

Just like the previous night, it looked like the whole planet had gathered once again on the streets of Iacon to witness the departure of the newly-bonded couple, the two mechs that ended the terrible war that haunted both factions for millions of stellar-cycles. Some acknowledged them as 'The Saviors', but most of them just called them the 'Royal Couple'.

It wouldn't be long before they took off to their new home, and it made the whole team Prime nervous. Staff 'bots were rushing from here to there, carrying boxes full of the Autobots' possessions as well as some of the Decepticons' own.

Optimus stood at the entrance of the docking bay, watching everything with hurt optics. After being healed by Ratchet, he had been washed and lightly waxed once again, wearing the red cape and golden jewelry once more for his second public appearance. He gently stroked his belly as he watched everyone going about, and even when he had wanted -and insisted- to help, it had been denied to him, claiming that it could be harmful for the sparklings.

He could hear some heavy steps that came to a halt just beside him. A large hand rested itself on his shoulder, and he didn't have to look up to know who the visitor was.

"I suppose Ratchet has already told you everything." Ultra Magnus said in his gentle voice, though there was a hint of sorrow in it.

"He did." Optimus simply replied. He wasn't angry, or at least his anger wasn't directed to the Magnus, he was just sad and wasn't really in the mood to talk.

The older mech released a bitter sigh. "I am so sorry, Optimus Prime. I wish we had the means to keep you fully protected, but it seems that Megatron had everything very well prepared." He lowered his weary blue optics to meet the younger mech's own. "I hope that you can find it in your spark to forgive me."

"Don't... D-Don't worry about it, sir" Optimus began. "I understand; your duty is to keep Cybertron safe so as it is mine, there is no need to apologize."

"You are a very humble and devoted mech." The Magnus said with a small smile. "And I give you and your family my blessing, to wish you the best in your new life." He lowered himself to one knee and grasped both of the Prime's shoulders. "And please, _please_ , never forget that you will _always_ have a place here on Iacon, Optimus Prime."

Optimus felt like crying. He was going to miss his home, his old job, everything about the Autobots. And eveb if his superior's words were supposed to be reassuring, he couldn't help but feel utterly miserable. Giving up his own life just to save a million other ones.

Was this how it felt to be a hero?

But all these thoughts were just causing him to feel even more depressed. There would be a time to dwell on all of that, but right now, he had to concentrate on saying good-bye to all the 'bots that helped him and were kind to him, for it would be a long time before he saw them again.

"Thank you, sir." The young Prime bowed his helm respectfully. "I am honored."

Somewhere, in other part of the docking bay, Jazz helped Prowl get some of the last boxes inside the cargo door of the great ship that was the Nemesis.

"There" Jazz huffed. "Ah think that was the last one."

"Indeed." Prowl huffed, wiping the dust off of his servos. "Thank you for your help, Jazz." The black and white mech smiled softly in return, shrugging a little in embarassment. "Eh, it was nothin'."

"Are you sure you can't come?" Prowl asked for what seemed to be the thousandth time that day. "We could set up your own quarters, you would have your place in our team, and I think it would be of help to have an Elite Guard officer coming with us."

Jazz felt a pang of guilt hit his spark. "Ah'm sorry Prowler, but Ah have to remain 'ere." He gave the other mech a sad smile. "Some files and reports Ah have to complete, y'know? Plus, Ah don't wanna leave Sentinel alone in our shared office. He has that bad habit of stealin' my stationery!"

That made Prowl chuckle a little, but his laughter died quickly. "Well... it is a shame then. I wish I could spend more time with you, but it looks like the ship will be taking off soon." He looked over his shoulder, noticing how the staff 'bots were just checking the final details on the ship.

"Don't be sad, Prowl." Jazz nudged his friend with his elbow. "Ya will be with yar friends, remember? And Ah promise to call ya every time Ah get the chance, and Ah'll go visit if Ah can."

Prowl didn't say anything and instead just nodded. He wasn't the type of 'bot that showed his feelings to everyone, but since the whole thing with Optimus started he had grown to be great friends with the other cyber-ninja, and it hurt to leave him behind.

Without another word, Jazz pulled Prowl into an embrace, reaching out with his EM field full of reassurance. Surprisingly, the black and golden mech returned the affection, holding the other as tight as he could.

After a few nano-kliks that seemed like hours, the two mechs separated. "Good luck, Prowl." Jazz smiled, patting his friend on the back. "Ah wish the best for ya and the team, and especially for Optimus. Don't forget that Ah'll be right 'ere if ya need somethin'."

Prowl nodded grimly. "Thank you, Jazz." His voice was stoic as always, even if his spark seemed to break a little. "I hope we meet again soon."

* * *

Cycles later, the ship was ready to take off. Camera drones as well as reporters flashed their cameras all over the bots' faces, so much that they almost blinded them. Cheers of gratefulness and admiration could be heard from everywhere, and some 'bots even threw organic flowers at their pedes.

Optimus was already waiting at the main gate of the Nemesis when Megatron arrived, looking smug and triumphant as ever as he toon his place beside his mate. "Are you ready four our departure, _my bonded?_ " He snaked an arm around his waist and pulled him closer to his body, the contact making Optimus feel very uncomfortable. But as always, Megatron didn't care.

Blitzwing, Lugnut and Starscream stood at their leader's side, watching everything with disgust yet they were relieved to finally leave such an awful place. It didn't help that a bunch of filthy Autobots were coming along.

Optimus' team remained close to their leader, feeling uneasy at the way Megatron was holding him but unable to do anything about it. They waved at the crowd and the camera drones awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say or do. Ultra Magnus as well as Jazz and Sentinel Prime stood at the other end of the docking bay, waving back at their fellow Autobots.

The Nemesis' main gate began lifting off the ground, little by little hiding away the sight of the 'heroic' Autobots and Decepticons as it began to close. The light raining from the camera flashes was slowly being replaced by the dim artificial light of the inside of the Nemesis, giving Optimus a terrible familiar feeling of dread.

The last thing he saw before the gates closed was Ultra Magnus, standing tall and proud among all the other Autobots, giving him the warmest and most reassuring smile he had ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter wasn't that good, but the next one will (hopefully) be better :-)


	6. Settling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the super late update, it's just that life hasn't been treating me well lately.
> 
> Enjoy.  
> -Rolling_girl27

Optimus' optics widened as big as plates upon seeing the great and powerful city that Kaon was. When he was a student at the Academy, he'd seen pictures of the city on history datapads, but he'd never imagined it would be this impressive when looked up close.

Tall buildings that seemed to surpass the planet's atmosphere littered the whole city; they reminded him of the skyscrapers back on Iacon, Optimus sadly realised. The neon signs from various shops, bars and other establishments lit up the dark, busy streets full of mechs and femmes alike, which most of them looked big and menacing.

Many pairs of red optics were staring up at the ship as it passed, and Optimus couldn't help but shudder in fear. He'd never seen so many Decepticons together before. They could easily kill a whole army of Autobots, let alone a group of repair-'bots like his own team. If there were a rebellion against Megatron's choice for a mate, there was zero chance for them to get out alive.

The young Autobot gulped nervously but kept staring down, trying to get as much detail of the city as possible. If this was going to be his new home, he might as well start to know it thoroughly.

As the ship kept flying over the city, he noticed that the appearance of the streets started to change. The number of 'bots going about decreased, the public establishments began to look fancier and the environment overall began to look nicer. He could only guess that they had entered the rich part of the city, where nobles and other high-ranking Decepticons lived.

It calmed him a little to know that they would be living in a more controlled environment, he couldn't even imagine himself raising his sparklings in the slums.

However, it made little difference in the end. Even if Megatron offered him Cybertron itself, he just couldn't (and wouldn't) submit to him. The warlord was a brute and selfish mech, and no amount of gifts and apologies would change the way Optimus saw him as: a monster.

Thankfully, his team was there to support him; that way he felt a little safer. He was supposed to be the leader of the team, the one to protect them all, but right now, he felt like a young sparkling in need of their creators. It was almost shameful.

Ratchet had told him that it was only natural and it would take time for him to heal, but Optimus really wanted to speed up that process. He couldn't be a proper parental figure if he was mentally weak, and Primus strike him if he would ever let Megatron be his children's role model.

Pit, everything was so depressing. He wasn't prepared for such a big change in a small amount of time, and it frightened him. It frightened him to live with the very mech who ruined his life and forced him to carry his offspring. It frightened him to know how would he be as a Sire, if he would treat his creations with love and care or just use them as cannon fodder. It frightened him to even _think_ of laying in a berth with Megatron once again.

Sure, he might have a reprieve right now, but once the sparklings are born and the medics deem him healed enough, he'll have to return to Megatron raping him again and again until he grew bored, only to return later and start all over again.

No, he wasn't ready to face his mate yet. But obviously, Megatron didn't care about _that_ , he'd just laugh and do whatever he wanted.

Optimus almost jumped out of his armour when two powerful arms suddenly wrapped themselves around his waist, successfully pulling him out of his depressed trance.

And he knew just who it was.

"How is my beautiful pet doing?" Megatron purred, nuzzling the side of his mate's helm and ignoring his discomfort. Optimus grimaced and immediately tried to push himself out of the embrace, clawing at the large arms.

"I'm not your pet" he spat. "Leave me alone, Megatron."

"What, am I not allowed to hug my bonded?" The warlord sneered, faking an offended tone with his voice. At last he decided to let him go, chuckling when the smaller mech turned around to glare at him.

"You don't even need an answer for that," Optimus said, readjusting the cloak around his body. "You will do whatever you want in spite of my opinion."

Megatron just chuckled some more. "You would enjoy it more if you just submitted to me, little Prime," he reached for the red and blue mech's chin, tilting it so he could meet his pretty blue optics. "Although I must admit that I like your defiance too. I find it particularly arousing." He purred the last part, dimming his optics with lust.

"Frag you!" Optimus hissed, jerking his helm away from the Decepticon's grip.

"Mmm, perhaps as a special anniversary gift, little Prime." Megatron purred, letting out a deep, mocking laughter when the Prime shot him a disgusted look.

"Ah, nevermind, little Prime. Maybe on another occassion. Now come, it is almost time for us to leave the ship." The silver mech said, bending forward a little just as he extended his arm for the smaller mech to take.

Optimus just stared at the offered appendage with disgust. "Do I _necessarily_ have to go with you?" He asked, lifting an optic ridge.

"Of course you have." The warlord replied smoothly. "Any _good_ mate accompanies their significant other at all times, even more during important occassions." He then added with a smirk, "Or would you rather I carry you in my arms instead?"

Optimus' optics kept darting from the offered arm to the warlord's faceplates for a while before he sighed his defeat. He stood up straight and very hesitatingly took his bonded's arm, feeling rather uncomfortable at the closeness.

Megatron grinned with triumph, finding Optimus' attitude very amusing. "Whether you like it or not, little Prime, you'll have to get used to me eventually."

"But while that happens," Megatron continued, leaning down to murmur something into his mate's audio. "I'll look forward to fighting with you every day, my little Prime..."

Optimus snarled. "You may have won the war, Megatron but I'm _never_ going to be a tame Autobot!" He hissed, glaring up at the Decepticon leader's faceplates.

Megatron grinned darkly. "We'll see, little Prime, we'll see."

 

* * *

 

When the ship's ramp descended, everyone was greeted by a fancy docking bay where many 'bots were bustling about. Unlike their arrival in Iacon, there were no onlookers or citizens to disturb the Decepticon leader and his mechs as they made their triumphant entry to their home city of Kaon.

It was a vast centre of activity indeed, staff 'bots rushing everywhere whether they were unloading the Autobots' posessions from the ship, checking this one for any damage it may have sustained during the trip or simply acting as guards.

"Whoa... I've never seen so many 'cons together before." Bumblebee mused in wonder as he took in the large platforms and repair machines that composed Kaon's docking bay.

"Impressive." Prowl said, eyeing some other ships that were also being tended to in another part of the bay.

Optimus was also caught up in his surroundings. The architecture was so much different from Iacon's, it was almost as if he had entered a new world from the future.

A tug at his hand pulled him out of his wonder. "Come, little Prime." Megatron took Optimus' servo and wrapped his free arm around his waist. "We have yet to reach our new home."

Optimus grimaced at the close contact and tried to pull away, but Megatron's grip was firm as he began leading him through the large building, his mechs and the rest of the Autobots following closely behind.

They walked through large corridors, passing many different mechs and femmes alike who bowed respectfully to their Lord and looked at Optimus with a lot of interest.

Optimus tried to ignore them even though it was hard to miss the way some of them raked their optics all over his body and shot him dirty looks. He had wrapped his cloak around himself as best as he could, but he still felt exposed.

The walk seemed to never have an end until they reached another landing track where they boarded a new shuttle that would take them to their actual residence.

"Welcome to Kaon, Lord Megatron." A servant stood at the entrance, bowing respectfully at his Lord as he held the door open for him. The warlord gave him a court nod in return and ushered Optimus inside.

The interior -just as it looked on the outside- was pretty big; it was actually divided into two sections by a purple courtain. It reminded Optimus of the planes humans use to travel in, which are divided by 'classes'.

He and Megatron were the only ones that boarded that side of the shuttle while his friends and the other Decepticons were ordered to go to the _other_ side, just behind that curtain. The only explanation was that 'the newlyweds should have some time for themselves'.

Even though the seats were very comfortable and the large window offered a magnificent view of the city, Optimus wasn't able to properly enjoy all of it with Megatron being over him all the time.

At first, he was content with just holding his mate close, feeling his sparkbeat close to his own chest as well as the warmth of his smaller body. But he was struggling so much, he just didn't want to accept his embrace! And it was really starting to get on his nerves, so with a grunt he pulled the smaller mech onto his lap and wrapped his arms around him.

Optimus let out a surprised yelp and immediately started struggling and spitting curses at him.

"What the frag! Let me go, you bastard!"

Megatron merely chuckled and held him even closer to his chest. He didn't say anything; at this point it was useless to argue with the Prime as he would only keep snarling and cursing like an angered mechanimal no matter what the warlord said.

However, the Autobot's frantic struggling didn't last long. Exhaustion quickly consumed him and soon he found himself venting loudly against Megatron's chest, a wave of shame and anger cursing through his body.

Megatron, pleased to see that his mate wouldn't struggle anymore, released the strong grip he had around him and instead began petting his plating like some sort of organic feline as he calmly read through a datapad.

The warlord held him there easily for the rest of the trip, with Optimus blushing every time a service 'bot walked by and saw him curled up on Megatron's lap like a sparkling. The silver mech was able to sense this through the sparkbond too, although it only served to amuse him.

Not that it was surprising, Megatron seemed to enjoy humilliating his little Autobot.

"There, there, little Prime." The warlord murmured into his bonded's audio. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. Have you never cuddled with somebot you loved?"

Optimus sent him a glare. "If your definition of 'cuddling' is holding someone else close to you like some sort of prey, then no, I haven't."

The warlord chuckled lowly. "Ah, no matter. You'll get used to it and to the rest of our customs in time." He then leant forward and placed a kiss on the other's lips, making Optimus twist his helm away in disgust.

Pit, he didn't want to know what those _other customs_ entailed.

Even though it was uncomfortable to be shuffling on the warlord's lap from time to time, he still had the opportunity to gaze out of the window, allowing him to relax slightly and retreat to the back of his mind where no one could bother him.

Hopefully his team wasn't being bothered by the other Decepticons like he was.

 

* * *

 

The air was suddenly filled with gasps of awe as the shuttle finally came to a halt in front of the Emperor's Estate, the place where they would be living in.

It was a very impressing building, almost as big as Fortress Maximus, perhaps even more! Just by looking at it they could tell that it was at least three stories tall; it was unlike any other residential building they'd seen before.

A royal purple carpet had been set up for Lord Megatron to walk on with his mate once they descended from the shuttle, with a line of perfectly well-groomed soldiers standing at each side, all carrying plasma blasters in an elegant position.

Optimus couldn't help but shrink into himself as he passed right in front of those mechs. They were all as bulky and menacing-looking as Megatron and the rest of his soldiers, they could easily tear a 'bot his size apart with their bare servos.

Luckily, they were professional enough as to not make any lewd comments or stare at him longer than it was necessary, they all remained straight and with their helms held high. Back in the Academy he had been trained to do the exact same thing when an important figure walked past him, an indispensable gesture for every aspirant cadet.

At least there was something both factions had in common.

As they reached the end of the carpet and the main gate to the residence, a bulky (and rather ugly) femme of purple and yellow plating approached them.

"Lord Megatron," she bowed deeply, "it is a great honor to have you back in Kaon."

"Strika" Megatron greeted with a small nod of his helm. "So good to see you again. After milennia of war, it is certainly a pleasure to be back in our rightful home."

The femme named Strika nodded her agreement before directing her optics to Optimus. "And I take that this is the royal Consort, isn't he?"

"He is," Megatron pulled him a little forward so the femme could examime him closer. "His name is Optimus Prime and he is one of Ultra Magnus' best soldiers."

Optimus almost flinched under the intense gaze of Strika, who was staring at him (or better said, _judging_ him) with narrowed optics. By the slight frown on her face and the soft rippling of her energy fields he could easily tell that she didn't approve of Megatron's choice for a mate, but of course she wasn't going to question her Lord's decisions.

"He's quite an interesting mech." She said after a moment of silence. "Attractive if not delicate, no doubt the Magnus kicked him out of the Autobot Academy so easily."

That last comment made Optimus blush with indignation and embarrassment while Megatron just laughed. How could she talk about him just like that? And how did she _know_ that?

"Well, for being a soft-sparked Autobot, he's quite feisty." The warlord suddenly grabbed his waist and yanked him closer to his body. "Aren't you, little Prime?"

Optimus glared up and snarled at his mate, but it only made both Decepticons laugh.

"My, he's got a lot of spirit for such a tiny Autobot." The femme chuckled lowly. "Shall I take you inside?" She abruptly changed the subject, gesturing gently towards the residence.

Optimus huffed a little in frustration once Strika had her back to him. Primus, it seemed that all Decepticons were as arrogant as Megatron was.

He looked over his shoulder just to make sure that his teammates were still there; the least he wanted to know wad that they were left inside the shuttle or even worse, captured by evil mechs.

Much to his relief, the four of them were still trailing behind him and looking at everything in awe. They all were repair-'bots, so they weren't used to many luxuries and couldn't help but stare at the amazing building like a bunch of sparklings in the middle of a sweets shop.

They reached the entrance and Strika pushed the door open, revealing a beautiful hall where a lot of 'bots were going about their business, carrying furniture and decorations as well as boxes containing Optimus and his friends' stuff.

The room was very tall and very well lit, unlike pretty much everything outside of the manor. An elegant-looking living room stood at the center of the room, where a purple carpet had been placed on the floor and a silver crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. There were tall windows on the walls and a large staircase at the far end, which led to the second floor.

"Do you like it, my Lord?" Strika asked, "I chose the decorations to fit your preferences, but it can be changed if something doesn't appeal to you."

"No, leave it like that." Megatron replied almost immediately, slowly and deliberately observing everything in the room.

"All the rooms have been designed and decorated just as you asked" the femme continued, "even the servants' berthrooms and-"

Before she could finish, a smalled 'bot hurriedly stepped in.

"I-I'm sorry to interrupt, my Lords." The 'bot bowed respectfully, "but there's a call for Lord Megatron, it is Shockwave."

Megatron growled in irritation. Whenever Shockwave called, it _always_ was to inform him of important matters, and he didn't trust anyone but himself to receive the information coming from his undercover agent. He had to make sure that nothing was held back, that's why he always attended his calls himself.

"Fine. Strika, show my little Autobot around."

The ugly femme blinked slightly and her face dropped a little, she obviously wasn't happy with the order but she knew better than to disobey. "Of course, Lord Megatron." She nodded in the end.

Megatron released his little Prime and walked away without another word, leaving Optimus to Strika's mercy.

"Come with me, Autobot." The femme commanded, already heading towards another part of the estate.

"Wait! What about us?" Bumblebee blurted out. Strika turned around and looked at the four repair-'bots with disgust before saying, "I'll order a servant to show you the rest of the buidling. I have important matters to discuss with the Consort."

Optimus perked up at that, but before he could protest, Strika began walking again. Not wanting to anger anyone, the young Prime followed.

"As Lord Megatron's consort, there are things that are expected from you." The big femme started as she led Optimus down a corridor. "It is imperative that you follow them as you now will be part of the Decepticon Empire."

"Now, your main duty as a mate is to provide Lord Megatron with heirs," she gave Optimus' round belly a pointed look, "but I don't think that needed to be mentioned."

Optimus blushed in shame and wrapped his cloak tighter around him.

"You will be their main carer, unless Megatron says otherwise." She led Optimus around a corner. "Your other duties will be to entertain him, take care of him and satisfy his every need and desire, no matter what they might imply."

He had a very bad idea of what those _needs and desires_ entailed.

"But what if what he wants is beyond my capacity? Can't he just ask a servant?" Optimus dared to ask.

Strika suddenly glared down at him. "If it really wasn't something you couldn't do, he wouldn't be asking you in the first place."

The young mech flinched a little in intimidation as he turned his gaze towards the floor.

The large femme straightened herself and continued. "Since you are an Autobot and the purpose of your bonding was to establish peace between the two factions, you -as well as your teammates- will have a representative role among Megatron's empire. All matters regarding to the Autobot Commonwealth will be assigned to you, and you will also be allowed to take decisions in the name of your faction."

Ultra Magnus had talked to him about this. He would be assigned as a representative among Decepticons, although he was free to ask for help whenever he wanted. Not him nor his friends were militaries, let alone politicians, and he didn't want to drive Cybertron to the ground like Sentinel had.

He just hoped he'd be able to handle it when the time came.

Strika opened her intake to say something else but suddenly two mechs appeared around the corner, one of them he recognized as Oil Slick but the other one he hadn't seen before. He had purple and lime green plating and looked fairly old.

"Ah, Prime! So good to find you here" Oil Slick greeted cheerfully, rubbing his claws. "This is Hook, he is a proper medic and will be the one to keep track of your carrying cycle from now on." The adressed mech didn't look very happy to see him but didn't say anything, instead he bowed his helm lightly.

"He is Megatron's personal medic and he will be living in this same estate. I have important things to do back in my laboratory and won't be able to see you as often, so I decided to transfer all your medical history to him since he will be closer to you and has more experience in the area than I do."

Seeing Optimus' worried expression, Oil Slick added, "Don't worry, he is very professional and one of our Lord's most trusted mechs."

That didn't help in the slightlest, but Optimus just smiled lightly and nodded. "Nice to meet you, I'm Optimus Prime."

"You'll attend those matters once I am done teaching you" Strika said almost sternly, "but if you excuse us for now, gentlemechs, we have to get going."

The young Prime barely had time to wave goodbye to the scientist before he was dragged away by Strika. They both walked up some stairs and reached the second floor, revealing a quiet but not less elegant corridor lined up with several doors.

There were various paintings of big, menacing mechs adorning the walls; Megatron's ancestors, Optimus supposed. There were also vases of organic flowers resting on the corners and even a large balcony.

Strika stopped in front of a large door with beautiful carvings in it. "This is the master berthroom, and you will share it with Lord Megatron." She rumbled as she inputed the code on the lock and stepped aside to let Optimus walk in first.

The first thing he saw was the massive berth covered in silk sheets and a pile of embroidered pillows, and even if anyone would be delighted at the sight of such a comfortable berth, it only gave Optimus bad memories.

Shuddering, he turned his attention to the large desk resting against one of the walls along with a chair, a large shelf full of datapads above them. It had to be some workspace for Megatron's paperwork.

There was also a small couch in front of a short table and a holo-vid screen installed on the wall. There was a single window, but it occupied almost the whole south wall and was covered by delicate veil curtains that hovered gently with the wind.

Looking to his right, he spotted an opened door that revealed a luxurious wash room, complete with a large tub, a shower and even a basket with towels, mesh cloths and solvents of different scents inside.

There was another door to the left but this one was closed. Optimus walked closer and tried to open it, but found that it was locked.

"That will be the sparklings' room." Strika rumbled from her place at the door. "It is not finished yet, but you can see the design if you'd like."

"No, it's fine." Optimus murmured with a little smile, unconciously bringing his servo down to stroke his belly. "I'll wait."

"Ah, I almost forgot." Strika stepped closer, standing right before the young Autobot before unsubspacing a small box. "You must wear this."

The Prime raised an optic ridge and opened it, revealing a beautiful collar with shiny red and blue crystals incrusted in its silver lining.

"Lord Megatron wanted it to match your plating." The femme said.

"Do I necessarily have to wear this?" Optimus almost snapped, looking up at the large femme suspiciously. It was indeed beautiful but he knew that there was more to it than simple silver and crystals.

"Of course," she nodded, "in our culture, jewelry defines your status. As the royal Consort, you must wear ornaments like this one so everyone knows who you are and that they have to respect you."

Without waiting for an answer and with a speed she shouldn't have posessed, she took the collar from its box and placed it around the Autobot's neck, securing it with a special lock.

"This is a standard one, but if you want more, you will let me know."

Optimus didn't answer, he just brought a servo to the fine piece of jewelry and went to observe it on the mirror adhered to the wall.

He didn't have a good feeling about this collar. He'd have to investigate later what its real purpose was.

"Oh, there are other important things that you need to know." Strika spoke up. "Aside of this room, you will also have your own chambers so you can have privacy and store all your belongings. A staff 'bot will come later so you can arrange the decorations as you like."

"And finally, Lord Megatron expects to have dinner with you tonight." She started walking towards the berthroom's door, talking over her shoulder. "Make yourself presentable; until then, you are free to go."

She turned around, her optics suddenly darkening. "Remember, Lord Megatron worked hard to provide you with all of this" she pointed at him with a thick digit, "always show him gratitude and _do not disappoint him_."

Optimus held the urge to roll his optics and simply nodded, getting one last pointed look from Strika before she disappeared, leaving him in the blissful silence of the berthroom.

Now that he was alone, he had the opportunity to check his surroundings with more detail. He ran a servo over the berthsheets and marvelled at how soft they were, they reminded him of the sheets that he'd use in Fortress Maximus' bonding chamber.

It was a bad idea to think about that. That night only reminded him of the pain of being taken by Megatron- not only his valve, but his spark as well, and it was something he dearly wanted to forget, even if he knew it would be practically impossible.

Walking over to the other side of the room, he spotted a small cabinet that looked like an energon dispenser. Upon opening it his predictions were confirmed; soft-glowing cubes of pink energon resided inside, ranging from standard low-grade to some vintage high-grade.

Little by little he inspected every corner in the room until there was nothing left to observe. It was a very nice room indeed, the whole estate was very nice.

But it didn't matter if it was the most beautiful house in the whole planet, as long as Megatron existed near him, it would always remain an eternal nightmare for him.

He sat down on the edge of the berth and sighed. How he missed his small house in Iacon. It was much less fancier than this, but at least it actually felt like a home.

"Well, what do you think?" The Prime murmured softly as he cradled his belly. "It looks like you'll have the opportunity to  _live The Life,_ as humans say."

The tiny sparklings within him shifted merrily. Optimus smiled, at least his little ones were happy. They didn't have a clue of what was happening in the world around them, and he preferred to keep it that way.

But their due date was coming soon, it wouldn't be much longer until they were born and finally got to meet their cruel Sire and...

...their unhappy Carrier.

If only he'd been able to get away from Megatron, maybe he wouldn't feel so miserable and wouldn't be so fearful of what was to come. Sure, his sparklings would have everything materially speaking, but what good would it do to them to live with a broken faimly? 

It was clear that Megatron only wanted him as a personal breeder and fragtoy and wasn't interested in his help to raise a family, and once the sparklings were old enough, he'd just take them away and train them to become soldiers.

Ah, how different would all of this be if he had only stayed in Iacon.

But now, he was forced to stay in this luxurious prison with the monster that tainted his body and spark, to raise two fragile and pure sparklings in the middle of a city populated by power-hungry brutes.

The simple thought made his emotions overflow inside him and he moved to lay on the extremely comfortable berth, hugging one of the silk pillows close as he cried alone until he fell into a dreamless recharge.


	7. The waiting continues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very late update (once again). I've been very busy with everything and having writer's block doesn't help.
> 
> I know this chapter isn't very good but hopefully the next one will be better.
> 
> -Rolling_girl27

Several days had passed since their arrival at the luxurious estate in Kaon and the Autobots had yet to get used to it.

It was easy to get lost among all the long corridors and tall staircases, not to mention that everything was Decepticon-sized (naturally), so it was kind of hard to get things off furniture like counters and tables as well as to get on and off chairs and couches.

Bumblebee was the one having the most trouble; even if everything had been 'reduced in size' for him and the others, it was still meant to be used by a bot about Optimus' size.

Everything was decorated with expensive and fancy items, and their quarters were no exception. Each member of the team had his own room complete with a comfortable berth and personal washracks; they were served delicious meals and were free to come and go as they liked, but the ambience of a prison was still very much present.

At least the servants were kind to them, surprisingly humble to be Decepticons. They all shared the quality of being small, civilian frames, unlike the big, hulking 'bots that littered the rest of the city. They must feel as intimidated as the Autobots were by working for a mech like Megatron.

Some of them were assigned to take care of Optimus' special education and training; under Megatron's order, of course. Apparently, there were other things that Optimus needed to know and do as a Consort, not just cling to the warlord's arm and look pretty as he had initially thought.

Megatron wanted him to know how to dance, manage a household, prepare drinks and delicacies, and eventually learn about Decepticon culture. He even got his own lessons in politics so he'd be able to make decisions for his people when the time came. He also wanted him to know how to (properly) fight, but obviously, that was out of the question for the moment since he was heavy with sparklings.

The rest of the team had received some training to improve their fighting skills as well. Strika had suggested that they use them as bodyguards since the Prime seemed to have a very close relationship with them, but Megatron had his doubts. They might use those abilities to escape, and besides, he had bigger, better-trained 'bots that he trusted and knew could do the job correctly.

As for Ratchet specifically, his medical knowledge was assessed and then he was paired with Hook. The Decepticon medic was not a bad one, but the stubborn little Prime refused to trust him fully and instead demanded to be seen by his team medic.

Hook was a very loyal mech to Megatron and a very professional one; even if he didn't like his patients or his assistants, he'd never do anything erroneous to them, mainly because he knew the consecuences would be harsh. He would be the one to look after the Prime and his little ones' health but also to keep the Autobot medic at bay if he dared to go against his Lord's orders.

Aside from all of that, they were free to do whatever they wanted. Prowl spent most of his free time meditating in the crystal gardens or learning more about Decepticon culture; even if they were enemies, he couldn't deny that their traditions and customs were very interesting.

Bulkhead made a good use of his time practicing his painting skills while Bumblebee preferred to work on his speed. Ratchet was the busiest; when he wasn't arranging the med-bay's equipment or debating about the expecting Consort's health with Hook, he was in his quarters taking a long stasis nap.

As for Optimus, he spent most of the time locked in his quarters, either drifting through his thoughts, reading datapads or recharging.

Surprisingly enough, Megatron had bothered to provide his mate with a vast collection of history datapads as well as fiction novels so he _'wouldn't get bored in his absence'_ while he was away, working.

Both Ratchet and Hook had said that it was important that Optimus took things slowly during the last period of carrying as his systems would start reconfiguring themselves for the sparklings' birth and it was a very delicate process, not to mention that it would be the last few days he'd be able to recharge soundly before a pair of very cute but very needy 'bots entered his life.

Megatron had understood this and fortunately left him be most of the time, but he still forced him to lay by his side during the dark-cycle and kept kissing and touching him however and whenever he wanted.

Lucky for Optimus, the warlord had been quite busy as of lately since Cybertron had begun making modifications to its laws now that the two factions were at ease, and he, as Decepticon leader, had to attend lots of meetings to foresee these new laws.

It gave Optimus a sense of safety to know that the warlord wasn't in the estate. If he was away, he couldn't hurt him, but the terrible reminder that he would be back by the end of the solar-cycle still made him feel uneasy.

That's why instead of relaxing he tried to keep himself occupied so his processor wouldn't linger in the dread of Megatron's return and instead focus on something else, like his collection of datapads or the programing on Kaon's broadcast.

Right now, however, he was relaxing in the balcony attached to his quarters, sitting on a comfy chair while he looked at the beautiful scenery that was the city of Kaon. Neon lights stood out among all of the darkness as well as many of the bots' biolights moving around in the street like tiny fireflies.

There was a soft breeze that helped refresh his body and the faint noise of the bustling streets created an odd sense of peace inside him. If he closed his optics, it was almost as if he was down there, walking among all those other 'bots, without a single worry on his processor.

How long has it been since he last went out?

Megatron didn't allow him to go outside the state, not even with a bodyguard, and he was starting to miss the contact with other 'bots that weren't his friends, Megatron or the servants. It's not that he didn't like them, it's just that... he felt like a caged bird.

Suddenly, Optimus could feel a little kick underneath his abdominal plating. Looking down, he smiled and caressed the spot.

"Yes sweetspark, your carrier is missing home." He said with a sad smile. It had been too long since he'd talked to another Autobot, and he found himself missing Ultra Magnus, Jazz, and scrap, probably even Sentinel. Anything that would help him make his life feel normal again.

"I really wish I could be back in Iacon, you know." The Prime said conversationally as he rested his helm on one of his hands and rubbed his belly with the other. "Back there you would've had the opportunity to meet some of my old friends, like Jazz." He smiled sweetly at the memory. "He's always loved sparklings. I'm sure he would've loved you too."

A moment of nothing passed before there was some shifting inside him. Optimus chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I can still call him, but... I think it's more exciting to talk to somebot in person rather than through a flatscreen."

The sparklings shifted madly, ripping a good-hearted chuckle from their carrier. "I'm sure you'll be able to meet him once you're born. We'll go back to Iacon and see the Magnus and..."

There was a hard kick, painful enough to make Optimus wince a little. "My, aren't you two impatient little things?" Optimus chuckled, his voice still a little laced with pain. "Just wait a little longer and you'll be able to come out and see the world."

The sparklings settled after a few cycles of hearing their carrier's soft murmuring. Optimus' optics moved from his belly and instead looked into the orizon, taking in again the sight of tall, neon-lit buildings and flight frames moving from one roof to another in the dark sky.

Yeah, the world. It had been too long since he'd been out, and honestly, he had no idea of how could it have changed. Megatron almost never talked about it while he was around and both daily news datapads and air broadcast only talked about the general political aspects.

He suspected that it had been something good, for he had seen during the last few days increasingly more and more numbers of blue optics among red and yellow ones in Kaon city. He could only guess that the same happened in other Autobot-ruled cities like Metroplex and Iacon.

But, even if the factions had begun to lace their strings together, would it make any difference in their way of thinking? Decepticons with Autobot mates would still be Decepticons, and Primus forbids they were as horrible and brute as Megatron was.

He'd sacrificed himself to protect his people from a horrible fate, but what if it had been in vain? What if instead of helping them, he was leading them to the same fate he'd agreed to by bringing both factions together?

There were a lot of things Optimus didn't understand, and one of them was how far would a mech go to obtain something he wanted but that was clearly not meant for him.

"Come out and see the world... I'm not even _sure_ if I want you to do that." The Prime murmured to himself and he curled a protective arm over his midsection.

* * *

Megatron finally transformed at the entrance of his luxurious estate. He was exhausted, he'd done nothing but talk to incompetent ambassadors all day. He wasn't exactly surprised though; he couldn't expect any less of a bunch of arrogant and loud-mouthed Autobots.

Sometimes he regretted signing that pact with the other faction. There were still a lot of things to adjust now that there were new politics, and he, as Supreme Leader of the Decepticons, had to take care of everything on his own. Those filthy Autobots at least had a Council to help the Magnus make decisions, but he was stranded alone with a bunch of brute soldiers who couldn't do anything other than shoot.

It was better that way in some sense, though; at least he didn't have anyone who could interfere with his ideals and most importantly, his decisions were _always_  final. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have a councilor around to make it easier.

Ah, but as long as he had his pretty little mate waiting for him at home every night, it was a price he was more than willing to pay.

The guards saluted to him politely just as they opened the tall gates, allowing the large warmech to walk calmly inside.

Megatron just acknowledged them with a curt nod and kept walking. He couldn't wait to have his little Autobot back in his arms once again, it had been a long day and he was eager for a distraction.

From his spot on the front garden he could see that there was still some light peeking through the spaces between closed curtains, so no doubt that there were still some (if not all) of the other Autobots awake.

That bunch of repair-bots were a pain in the aft, if he had to admit. He didn't talk to them often, but hearing their constant bickering and accusations towards him really got on his nerves. Especially when they came from the medic.

He didn't know why the Magnus had sent them as a worthy 'embassy' when all they could do was repair spacebridges and clean the mess that the High-Councelors always left behind, both literally and figuratively speaking.

Sure, they could at least _pretend_ to be soldiers, perhaps warriors if you squinted really hard, but politicians? Please, he'd seen better jokes at the Elite Guard.

That Magnus must have something hidden under the table. Even _he_ , as careless and stubborn as he can be, wouldn't put such an important task on such inexperienced servos. He might be inconsiderate, yes, but not stupid.

Anyway, as long as Strika and the other servants kept them occupied with their 'training', there was a smaller chance of having those sparklings-turned-soldiers bothering him.

A pair of guards opened the large doors for him and Megatron walked inside, expecting to see his mate reading in the living room or having dinner in the kitchen, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Narrowing his optics, he called for one of the guards.

"Good evening, Lord Megatron." A well-built mech bowed before him.

"Crossfire, report." Megatron growled, ignoring the guard's greeting.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, my Lord." The mech named Crossfire started. "The Autobot team attended their training this afternoon, and Consort Optimus was given his lessons. Afterwards, he retired to his chambers and the rest of his team did as well, although the cyber-ninja went to meditate in the crystal gardens and the medic visited the Consort's room for two mega-cycles aproximately before he retired to his own rooms."

Megatron's optics narrowed slightly as he scanned the room once more. "Where is my mate?"

"He is still in the master berthroom, I believe. We haven't seen him come out in the whole solar-cycle."

Forcing back a smirk, Megatron gave a firm nod as a sign of gratitude and climbed up the stairs to the second floor.

He opened the door to his chambers as quietly as possible in case the little Prime was already recharging. It would be useless though; he was planning to wake him up himself so he could properly greet him, anyway.

Stepping inside, he noticed there were a couple lamps lit up, but his mate wasn't anywhere visible. And there was no sound of liquid flowing, so he couldn't be taking a bath either.

As he started to get suspicious he walked further inside but calmed down when he spotted the blue and red plating of the little Prime in the balcony looking down at the 'bots below.

Megatron approached the smaller mech silently and placed his large servos on the other's hips, chuckling darkly when the younger mech jumped a little.

"What is my mate doing awake this late in the night?" The warlord asked and nuzzled his mate's neck despite the feeling of hatred that travelled through their sparkbond.

Optimus groaned in discomfort and tried to push the servos away. "Everything except wait for you to get back."

"Oh, really?" Megatron asked, amused. "Then why are you up at this hour when you are supposed to be recharging?"

"I'm not a sparkling, Megatron" the Autobot bit out. "You don't tell me what to do."

"Well, sometimes you act like one." The warlord purred before he moved his hands from his hips and gently cupped his rounded belly. "And since it's the matter at hand, how were my future heirs today?"

Optimus pursed his lips together, remaining silent for a moment before finally muttering, "...fine."

"Did you take all of your energon rations today?"

"Yes."

"Good", Megatron's engines rumbled pleasantly. "It is important that you take care of yourself. I wouldn't want anything bad happening to my sparklings."

"And what would _you_ know about it?" Optimus snapped, his optics lighting up with anger just as he shook off the warlord's servos and stomped back inside the room. "All you've ever done is treat me as a toy just for your personal use. When did you ever _care_ for me?"

"Calm yourself, little Prime." Megatron said in an infuratingly calm voice as he followed his mate back into the berthroom.

Optimus just stood there, in the middle of the room, with his back facing Megatron. He was having a calm evening until that monster showed up and ruined everything. Why couldn't he just leave him alone?

"Do I have to remind you who agreed to bond with me in exchange of peace?" The Decepticon spoke in a dangerously low voice, not looking at the Prime but instead pulling back the sheets and arranging the pillows on their large berth. "Who gave themself to me in exchange for their comrades' safety? Who practically delivered themself to me in a silver platter?"

Optimus' spark began sinking in his chest as unwanted memories filled his processor. He tried to convince himself not to listen to the warlord; that he was just trying to make him take the bait but he was not going to give in.

It was not the first time Megatron had attempted to overpower him with mind games.

"You are _my_ Consort, you belong to _me_ and no one else." There could be heard heavy steps coming closer and closer until they stopped right behind him. A set of digits curled themselves around his jeweled collar and roughly yanked him backwards until he was pressed against the warlord's broad chestplates.

"And if I were you, I would stop complaining and go lay down with me on tbe berth _right. This. Instant._ "

Megatron's red optics gleamed like chunks of hot lava, red with anger but also shining in a menacing way. Even the most stupid 'bot would recognize that this was a very bad moment to disobey.

Without further words, Megatron dragged the smaller mech all the way to the berth and pushed him until he was laying down. Then, he climbed on it himself and rested his helm on a plump pillow, not without carefully snaking a large arm around his mate's waist and pulling him close to his frame like a sparkling would hold on to a mesh blanket.

Optimus shuddered as the lamps were turned off and he was left in complete darkness, his optics being the only source of light. Thankfully, Megatron was powering down already, so he wouldn't be bothering him anymore.

Optimus hated the feeling of that characteristic arm holding him in place with a grip that an eagle would use to hold its prey. It felt so possessive, so desperate, so...

...terrifying!

"I hate you." The young mech managed to mumble rather bravely before offlining his optics and trying to force himself to recharge.

Behind him, Megatron just smirked and nuzzled the back of his neck.

"I know, my beautiful pet."


	8. A miracle of life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter that everyone has been waiting for...
> 
> -Rolling_girl27

****Optimus woke up in the middle of the night with no apparent reason. It had happened to him the first few nights he spent in the new residence, his body still not used to the strange environment and feeling the need to remain alert. However, it kept happening less and less until his body took the recharge without complain.

But something felt different this time.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Megatron's silhouette resting beside him, his back facing him and his sides rising and falling evenly under the covers.

It actually surprised him that there was no arm wrapped around his waist or a large helm buried in the crook of his neck.

Suddenly, there was an intense pain coming from his abdomen that literally made him double over. It lasted a few nano-kliks, and when it was over, it left him panting.

He sat on the berth, staring at nothing in particular as he tried to asimilate what had just happened. His processor was full of confusion and fear, he had never experienced something like this before and it scared him.

He waited for the feeling to ebb away, and just as he was about to blame it on the sparklings kicking and go back to recharge, it happened again. The pain lasted a little longer this time and it actually made him whimper.

It was then that something ocurred to him and decided to contact Ratchet immediately.

[You better have a damn good excuse to wake me up this late in the night.] Came the grousy and sleepy voice of the medic at the other end of the comm. link.

"Ratchet, i-it's me, Optimus" The young mech announced with trembling voice and servos.

[Optimus,] the medic's voice passed from annoyed to concerned in a milisecond. [Did something happen? Are you okay?]

"I... I-I think the sparklings are coming" Optimus said, looking down at his belly. "My abdomen hurts. A lot." Just then a new contraction hit him and he found himself hissing directly into his comm. link.

The old medic mumbled a curse under his breath. [Alright, listen to me, Optimus. You _need_ to remain calm. Just try to even your venting and tell that afthole Megatron to take you to the med bay.]

He sensed that Optimus was about to protest and so he continued,

[I know it's hard but it's dangerous that you move around by your own, even more in a situation like this. But if he tries anything, I swear I'm gonna kick his aft.]

Optimus whined at the thought but knew that he had to comply anyways. He doubted Megatron would refuse to do something like this; when it came to his sparklings, there was almost _nothing_ that he wouldn't do. But that didn't change the fact that it was still uncomfortable being around him.

"Okay, I... I think I can manage that."

[Good] Ratchet said with determination. [Just vent, alright? I will see you in a moment.] And with that, the conversation was over.

Reaching for the sleeping figure beside him, Optimus began shaking his mate awake.

"Megatron, wake up" he said in a desperate tone.

The warlord groaned and stirred in his place like a lazy beast. He mumbled something unintelligible and his optics slowly began to flicker to life.

"Prime... what?"

"Megatron, take me to the med bay, the sparklings are-"

He was cut off mid sentence by yet another contraction that had him hunched over himself in pain. Megatron was able to hear his mate's distressed call and sat up, confused.

"Sparklings...?"

It took a moment for his systems to online but once he saw his mate's pained expression and processed the words that had entered his audios, his optics shot open and in an instant he knew what to do.

Throwing the covers away, he scooped the smaller mech up bridal style and went running after the medic.

* * *

Ratchet was very much relieved when he heard the loud crash of Megatron bursting into the medbay, with Optimus in his arms.

Not even greetings were exchanged before Ratchet ushered the silver brute to place his mate on the berth, making a quick check-uo of his systems with his internal scanner.

"How long has it been since the contractions started?" The medic asked as he started up his computer and pulled a cable from it.

"I-I'm not sure... probably- Aaah!" Optimus let out a small cry when his abdominal cables spasmed hard once more. When the pain subsided, he continued. "Probably fifteen or twenty cycles ago." He could only pant and watch as Ratchet took his wrist and plugged a cable to his medical port.

"I see..." The elder Autobot mumbled as his optics seemed to fly through the readings on the computer's screen.

"Well, everything seems to be okay for now, but you are proceeding unusually fast." The old medic groused, carefully patting Optimus' belly. "You're already at 27% dilatation. These bitlets aren't waiting."

"Is there something wrong with it?" Megatron spoke up with a dangerous yet concerned tone and his optics a bright red.

Ratchet gave him a quick, hateful glance before answering.

"Not really, but the thing is that first deliveries usually take a long time; new systems are coming online, reproductive equipment has new changes to make and all that stuff."

Suddenly Hook walked into the room, carrying a pile of towels in his arms.

"How is he doing?" He asked as he dumped the towels on a counter and walked over to the medical computer, reading the results over Ratchet's shoulder.

"He's fine. Contractions have just started, no internal bleeding or tearing and his vitals are stable, although he's going quite fast." Ratchet explained and moved aside so the other medic could have a better look at the screen.

Optimus was surprised to see both medics working side by side together, as if they hadn't been mortal enemies once and instead they were two normal coworkers assisting just another delivery in an ordinary hospital.

But before he could express his surprise he was doubling over in pain again.

"Wow, 32% already? Are you sure this is your first time carrying?" Hook looked at the Autobot in surprise. Optimus, for his part, only nodded in response.

"Well, I guess it's just the way his body works, then." The Decepticon medic shrugged. "But this is not the time to dwell on that. I need warm water, blankets and more towels." He ordered a few servants that were nearby. "Has the gestational sac broken yet?"

"No, but he-" Ratchet was interrupted when there was a startled yelp coming from Optimus as he felt something snap inside him and soon after a lavender liquid began seeping from the seams of his closed interface panel.

The Autobot medic cursed under his breath, grabbed a handful of disposable cleaning cloths and rushed over to the embarassed Prime's side, gently coaxing him to open his panel.

With great reluctance, the Prime did so, shivering and blushing even harder than he already was when a lot more of the lavender liquid gushed from his valve and onto the berth beneath.

Hook helped to wipe most of the fluids away. It was going to get even messier anyways, but it was better to have a relatively clean space to work in.

Just then Ratchet came to the realization that Megatron was still in the room.

"Why are you still here? Get out!" The medic growled angrily, lifting his wrench in the air as a warning signal.

Before a very heated discussion could break lose in the middle of the med bay, Hook gently lowered Ratchet's raging servo.

"Lord Megatron has the right to stay in the delivery room, although it would be better for the Consort and the whole process in general if he decided to wait outside." He spoke in a surprisingly straight voice, although no one could be sure if he was talking to Ratchet, to Megatron or both.

The warlord's red optics flashed a vibrant red and his expression seemed to darken even more, proof that he wasn't pleased with what both medics were intending.

"I will _not_ miss my sparklings' birth" he growled, firmly planting his pedes on the floor and crossing his arms over his chestplate. He'd just made his point clear, and there was no room nor desire for any arguments.

"Therefore I will _stay_."

"As you wish, my lord." Hook politely replied even though he could feel Ratchet's anger through his EM field. However, if he tried to convince Megatron to leave, both of them would just get beaten and a replacement would be called to finish the job.

So he just gave Ratchet a stern look, hoping that the other medic understood his point and decided to cooperate.

"Pcht, fine" the Autobot medic growled, throwing his arms in the air dramatically. "But you damn better stay out of the way!"

The discussion was finally ended with another of Optimus' cries cutting through the med bay's air.

Ratchet rushed over to the computer. "42% dilated. C'mon, kid, you're halfway there."

* * *

Optimus choked a moan as the pain from his most recent contraction faded away. He felt a new cooling pad being placed on his forehelm for the fifth time in the last cycle, and that was the most he could register in his fuzzy and confused processor.

Everything had been running smoothly, without any complications- well, except for the constant stress Megatron was putting on him with his mere presence.

Just for good measure, Ratchet tugged the blanket he had provided earlier a little bit higher over Optimus' body, just to prevent Megatron from looking at him _too much_.

About two mega-cycles had only passed and Optimus already felt exhausted; he tried to recharge between contractions but they were coming far too fast to do so, his back hurt horribly and the looming figure above him only fueled the fear and anxiety that was growing deep in his spark.

How he wished they would have just kicked him out of the room, that way he would feel more at ease and comfortable around a mech that he trusted with his spark and another one that was very professional. But no, Megatron wanted to be  _everywhere._

Hook walked over to check on his vitals, carrying a small tray with various medical tools in it. Immediately after, he walked closer to the berth and stood right in front of Optimus' spread legs, though nothing was currently showing thanks to the blanket.

"I need to check the entrance to your gestation chamber manually." He said in a neutral, professional tone. "For that I'm going to use my fingers. Are you okay with it?"

Optimus was... surprised, to say the least, that he had been asked such a question. Never before had he been asked for permission when someone wanted to touch his intimate parts, and he had already grown used to it, he realized bitterly.

The young mech was visibly uneasy about that matter. Hook cursed Megatron internally; if he didn't rape his mate so often this would be much easier. But lamenting the past wasn't going to change the present, so he had to look for an alternative.

Gently placing his servo on the mech's thigh, he felt him immediately flinch at his touch. Then, with the kindest tone he could manage, he asked, "Would you prefer your medic to do it instead?"

Optimus' anxiety was curling into a tight knot in his tank. The weight of a servo on his thigh, even if he knew it was supposed to be comforting, triggered his body into some type of defensive mechanism. His joints became stiff, as if ready to bolt or attack, and even he felt his valve callipers try to clench down to prevent something unwanted from entering him.

With all the exhaustion, fear and sudden anxiety he couldn't find his voice and had to nod ridiculously at the medic.

Hook nodded and moved away from the berth, just then the young mech felt himself relax again. Not too long after Ratchet came and adopted the same position as Hook had earlier.

"Alright kid, I'm gonna make this as quick as possible, I promise." The old mech gruffed, quickly squeezing his patient's servo as a sign of reassurance. He gave the young mech a few moments to relax and then he inserted his digits as gently but quickly as he could.

Optimus' vents hitched upon feeling the intrusion. The simple touch brought back a lot of memories that were hard to supress, and it was even harder when the mech responsible for them was standing right next to him.

He tried to calm himself by venting deeply, repeating over and over in his helm that this was Ratchet, that he would never hurt him and what he was doing right now was solely for medical purposes.

Ratchet felt around the valve's walls with firm, clinical touches. Soon enough he found the small opening of the Prime's gestation chamber. It was just as dilated as his scanners showed, which was good. Everything was running as it should.

However, he couldn't stop the scowl that drew on his face when his digits swept over a very distinctive scar across the iris, a scar that he himself tended to when they'd just rescued their leader from the Decepticon ship.

"Everything is fine." The old medic growled, trying very hard to supress his anger. It would only scare Optimus more if he had an outburst right now.

"Your gestation chamber is dilating well, it won't be long before you can start pushing. For now, continue venting and start gathering all your strength to get the little ones out, okay?" He accentuated the gesture by giving his belly a firm pat.

"Okay, thank you Ra- aaahhh!" Optimus cried out and gripped the berth's sides until his joints ached as another, much powerful contraction washed over his midsection. Both medics had explained earlier that the pain would get worse, but that didn't mean that he was ready for it!

Megatron scooted a little closer, watching over his mate like an eagle following its prey. He'd been trying to aid him in dealing with the pain for a while now, but his little Prime simply shied away from him at every attempt.

This time he reached out and tried to grab his servo, but it was immediately swatted away. Optimus, panting and dripping coolant from the forehelm, gave him a half-sparked glare and shifted a few inches away on the berth.

Megatron was clearly displeased by it, but decided not to attempt anything more for the moment. If he caused his mate a lot of stress then it would be harder for him to have the sparklings and either or all of the three could end up damaged.

"85% dilated. Get up, Autobot" Hook, who had approached the berth once again, called, patting his shoulder to get his attention. "We must get you ready to start pushing."

Optimus, who had been resting on his elbows, whined pitifully as he made an effort to sit upright. He felt so heavy and exhausted, he wasn't even sure if he was going to have enough energy to push the sparklings out. But he had to go on; for the sake of his little ones, he had to resist.

The Decepticon medic carefully placed the red and blue mech's pedes on the stirrups attached on the berth. By doing so, Optimus' valve came to full view, which made his cheeks heat up even more with embarrassment. He tried to pull the blanket downwards to cover himself, but it was no use. The position his hips were in made the blanket slide down his body.

Ratchet rushed over to the berth and inspected Optimus' valve, seeing the iris to his gestation chamber positively open.

He wished he could say the same thing about his valve channel. Sure, the callipers were meant to be quite flexible, but they could only stretch so far. Plus, he wasn't sure of how much of the trauma it received from Megatron's abuse would affect the birthing.

Megatron was a warrior, and as such, had to have a large frame; Optimus was large too, at least in Autobot standards, but compared to Megatron, he was genuinely small. When sparklings are too big for carriers to deliver them naturally, they are surgically removed directly from the gestation chamber, for example, in the case of minibots mating with larger civilian frames.

But that was a totally different procedure, and they weren't sure if it would be safe to perform on Optimus at this point in the delivery.

Ratchet positioned himself in front of Optimus' spread legs and glanced at the computer on the side.

"Okay kid, you're at 90% dilatation. It's time." Ratchet started, looking at Optimus with optics full of determination. "You have to push with your valve, but only when you feel the contractions. Understood?"

Optimus panted, his face flushed with both embarassment and exhaustion as he looked down at Ratchet. He nodded numbly, just barely grasping what the medic had just said.

"Good." Ratchet glanced once more at the computer. He stared at the dilatation percentage like it was a bomb's timer, and when it hit 100%, he ordered Optimus to push.

The poor Prime couldn't stop himself from wailing as he slowly felt the first of two protoforms shift inside him and start sliding out of his gestation chamber and into his valve. Thick lubricants quickly escaped from his port to aid with the process, but it couldn't make up for the burning, tearing sensation of having his callipers brutally stretched.

Beside him, Megatron silently watched everything that was happening with keen optics. He offered his servo to the little Prime so he could cling to him and cope better with the pain, but it was roughly shoved away.

"C'mon kid, you're doing great... I can see the helm!" Ratchet carefully pulled at the outer rim of the Prime's valve to ease the stretch a little. His digits brushed against scarred mesh lining, bringing forth conflicted feelings of rage, pity and sorrow. But it was not the time to dwell on that.

Optimus could feel something tear inside him as the sparkling's helm reached the entrance of his valve, but it bothered him a lot less now that he had something far more painful going on.

With a strong push from his abdominal cables the helm popped free, then the shoulders and finally the rest of the body. Ratchet supported the little one with a servo and helped it come out until finally a hiccup and then a high pitched cry resonated in the room.

Megatron immediately perked up at the sound of his first creation's cry, but he didn't have time to see it as it was quickly passed to Hook, who placed it in a warm towel and began cleaning it.

Optimus, for his part, was utterly spent. His vents were working at full speed from the effort and coolant kept sliding from his face like someone had dropped a bucket of water on him. His lower body felt numb and the after-shocks of pain began making him feel nauseous.

When he heard his bitlet's cry though, it was as if everything that his body felt vanished and was replaced by the need to hold and see the little creature that he'd been carrying in his body with so much love for the past lunar-cycles. His spark almost broke when he saw Hook taking it away, but he was quickly distracted by yet another contraction.

Ratchet quickly noticed the change in the Prime's behaviour and rushed over to his previous position.

"You can do this Optimus, just one more effort and then you can rest. C'mon kid, I know you can."

Optimus gripped the edges of the medical berth and cried out as the second protoform slid out of his gestation chamber. This one moved quicker and more easily, helped by the 'trail' it's twin left behind on its way out.

In what felt like no time at all the second bitlet was out of him, wailing and squirming under the intense light of the med bay as he was cleaned by the Autobot medic. It's little EM field was already rebooting and looking everywhere for its carrier, the same with the other twin.

The young Prime at long last let himself go limp on the berth. His whole body trembled from the effort and his optics began dimming in tiredness, but he forced himself to remain awake. He had yet to see his precious creations.

A couple of cycles later both Ratchet and Hook approached him with a small bundle on each pair of arms.

"Congratulations" the Autobot medic said softly, handing over the sparkling he had in his arms, all wrapped up in a blanket. "Grounders. They are very healthy."

"The first one is a femme," Hook carefully deposited the sparkling in the crook of Optimus' arm. "And the other one is a mech."

There, right in his arms, were finally the little pieces of light that he'd been carrying all along. His tiny stars, the strength that kept him going even when almost all hope had been lost. And they were even more beautiful now that he could look at the up close.

On his left arm, his beautiful daughter looked up at him with bright blue optics. Her plating was a cherry red like his, but it had silver details and a few black spots. On the top of her helm were two pointy audio fins and a very slim cap-like attachment on her forehelm, just like his.

And on his right arm, a mechling just slightly smaller than his sister squirmed in his little cocoon. Its plating was a very dark shade of grey, almost black, with lighter shades of silver complimenting his body and a few spots of red. Different from his sister, his helm was like a miniature copy of Megatron's own, though this one had sharp, triangular edges. It took a while for him to online his optics, but once they did, they shone a bright red light like two burning chunks of lava.

The little femmeling mewled and curled up closer to her Carrier. She recognized this spark, and now that she was able to move freely, she never wanted to detach from it. It almost made Optimus sob with joy.

Megatron stood right next to his mate and looked down at his children with wonder in his optics. Their colour scheme leant more to his own, although the frame type was more like the little Prime's. They even inherited his femenine face and well-defined lips.

Even though he'd expected to have flight frames, he supposed grounders weren't as bad. Depending on the vehicle model, they'd perhaps be of good use in the battlefield, especially in the form of tanks.

"Wondeful." The warlord spoke after having remained silent for almost three mega-cycles. He gently took the mechling from his mate's arms and brought him to his face.

The Sire staying close to the Carrier was an important part in carrying cycles. They had to make themselves present to the newsparks by exposing their EM field as much time as possible; this way, the bitlets could develop a sire-creation bond similar to the one they had by default with their Carrier.

And Megatron had made a good job of that.

"After a long wait, I finally have you in my arms" The warlord murmured, cradling the sparkling close to his chest and nuzzling him. "My little Nimbus."

The little sparkling squeaked and curled closer to his Sire, gripping the first seam he could find with his tiny, uncoordinated servo like he never wanted to let go.

Megatron couldn't stop himself from chuckling softly. There was another squeak from the other side of the room, which quickly caught his attention. It was his daughter, still mewling and squirming in her Carrier's arms.

"And of course I couldn't forget you," he sat next to his mate on the berth and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Jasper, my beautiful daughter." He stroked the femmeling's cheek with his digit, receiving a delighted mewl from her.

"I want those to be their names." The warlord muttered without moving his optics from his sparkling.

"What? I have no say in this?" Optimus murmured in both confusion an indignation.

"He's their legitimate Carrier" Ratchet retorted, anger already bubbling up in his gut. "And even if he wasn't, he's still their _creator_ , you must at least listen to his opinion!"

Before a fight broke out in the middle of the med bay, Hook decided to step in. "It's alright," he pressed a servo on Ratchet's chest to prevent him from getting any closer to the big Decepticon.

"As Decepticon tradition goes, the Sire normally chooses the name of their sparklings." He explained. "B-But I'm sure Consort Optimus can do it with the next ones." He looked at the other medic with an apollogetic look. It was _extremely_ dangerous to argue with the Decepticon leader, but it was also rude to ignore the traditions. It was one of the prices the poor Consort had to pay for bonding with a mech from a differemt faction.

Optimus was disappointed, but not surprised. This was just another decision ripped from his hands, just like everything else during the past few months.

Well, he'd be lying if he said that they weren't nice names; he would've just preferred that Megatron had at least asked him if he liked them.

Either way, he was too exhausted to start a fight right now. His optics were already dimming and it took every single bit of his strength to remain awake; plus the warm, almost comforting energy field of his mate didn't help. It was like he was trying to lull him to sleep...

From the corners of his optics he could see the smug smirk on those silver lips. Of course this had been his intention all along!

That bastard.

With a growl, Optimus carefully snatched the newborn mechling from Megatron's arms and tried to shake the large arm off, but it was hard to do with two sparklings in his arms. Megatron, like some kind of miracle, understood his mate's feelings and decided to leave him alone for the time being.

"I will leave my mate in your care." He said to both medics as he stood up from the berth. "I want you to inform me of anything that happens to him or my sparklings. I will come back in two mega-cycles."

He turned and gave a soft goodbye kiss to each of his creations' forehelms and a quick one on his mate's lips, chuckling softly at the sound of disgust he made.

Optimus waited until the med bay's door shut behind the warlord's back to release the air he didn't realize he'd been holding. Everything had been so stressful with him around, but now that he was gone, he could spend some blissful time alone with his newborn creations.

A warm servo on his thigh made him look up. Thankfully, it was only Ratchet.

"You need to rest" he murumured, his optics full of gentle compassion. "I'll go get an incubator for these two so you can recharge comfortably. In the meanwhile, I'm gonna repair anything the little ones might have torn on their way out, okay?"

The young Prime smiled softly at his old friend. "Okay. Thank you, Ratchet."

The medic offered him a smile in return and went for his supplies. Optimus returned his attention to the bundles curled up against his chest, their optics already closed in deep recharge. How could they spend five lunar-cycles in stasis and still be tired?

Now that he came to think of it, he knew next to nothing about sparklings. They were something that he'd planned for after the war, when he had more time and peace to raise a family of his own. He hadn't been ready for Megatron to come and just spark him up on the first try.

He didn't think _anyone_ could be ready.

That's why his education in sparklings was very limited. He knew where they came from, but he had no clue as how to take care of one. It was terrifying, to say the least.

Ah, but he didn't want to worry right now. He was so happy; he finally had his first creations in his arms, and he wanted to enjoy the moment. In fact, he never wanted it to end.

Optimus' body finally succumbed to exhaustion. The war, Megatron, his imprisonment; _everything_ left his processor the moment his optics offlined and he was able to fall into a peaceful recharge alongside his two newborn creations.


	9. First day of the rest of your life

Hours later, Optimus sat on the medical berth calmly feeding his two sparklings with his fuel lines. Apparently, all 'bots had a special energon processor behind their chest that was connected to two small nubs that protuded from their chestplate at each side of their spark, so they could feed sparklings when they were still too young to consume conventional energon.

Optimus was actually surprised by this; he had no idea his body had this type of function. Which only served to piss Ratchet off. After teaching him how to online the protocols and expose his fuel lines, he stomped away fuming about "stupid 'Cons that didn't even bother to teach him the basics".

The med bay was very calm and quiet. Comforting, even. It was the first time Optimus felt safe in this house. With no Megatron looming over his shoulder and a trusted friend nearby, the young Prime felt peaceful.

Of course he was still tired -who wouldn't be after giving birth- although the few hours he spent recharging did their magic. At least he had the energy to feed his little ones without the risk of dropping them by accident.

Speaking of, he looked down at them and a smile immediately appeared on his face. They were so beautiful, so small and fragile and pure. He felt his spark flutter just by seeing their little fists clinging to his armour as they fed, Nimbus halfway into recharge (again) while Jasper stared at him with her curious optics.

It was undeniable that they resembled Megatron, but he didn't care. The fact that they looked like their Sire didn't mean that they were going to become like him.

No, he wouldn't allow that.

A warm servo placed itself on his shoulder. It was Ratchet, who was looking down at him as if he knew just what was he thinking.

"Don't strain yourself so much." He said, like he was an old grandsire advicing his much younger grandcreation. "We will deal with it as it comes. For now, just rest."

Optimus gave him a small smile in gratitude. "You told me to rest about five mega-cycles ago."

"Well, you don't have to recharge if you're too stubborn for that," the medic said over his shoulder just as he was cleaning and organizing his tools back into place. "But you're not moving from that berth for the rest of this solar-cycle."

Ratchet had made sure to repair everything in his interfacing equipment, including a few injuries that weren't related to the birthing process and that were taking a little too long to heal. It only made his hatred towards Megatron grow even bigger.

And even if he hadn't been injured, he knew how hard it was to bring a sparkling into this world. He hadn't had any children, but this was not the first birthing he'd attended. Optimus wasn't the first Autobot he'd seen bearing sparklings with Decepticon coding either.

That's why he confined him to the berth for the full solar-cycle, with strict orders from Hook and especially _himself_ that Megatron shouldn't enter the med bay and much less interact with his mate. He'd have a lot of time to spend with his creations later.

A lot of time indeed, sadly.

"Ratchet?" Optimus' soft voice again.

"How long will it be until Megatron... sleeps with me again?" His optics were focused on his son, although they seemed droopy, both from tiredness and the heavy realization on the purpose of his current life.

The old medic sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I told you not to think about that. Your body needs to _heal_ \- and I'm not just talking about this solar-cycle."

A soft hum. "But... he wants more than _two_." Optimus lifted his dim, almost hopeless gaze. "You know he won't stop until my body can't give him any more heirs. That's why I'm here."

"I know kid... that bastard" he muttered the last sentence under his breath. He placed his servos on the edge of a counter, his helm hunched between his shoulders.

The comforting silence now felt heavy and depressing.

Then, Ratchet's optics darted to a nearby cabinet... and an idea lit up in his helm like a lightbulb.

"Unless... I can do something about it."

Optimus perked his helm up in attention.

"I can place an inhibitor in your gestation chamber." The medic said simply, turning around to face the younger mech. "As its name says, it will inhibit your reproduction protocols, keeping your system from absorbing the nanites in transfluid and thus no sparkling will be created, even with a spark merge."

He rustled something inside a drawer and pulled out a small device, holding it with his fingers and approaching Optimus so he could take a closer look.

"It's painless, it won't affect the rest of your systems and will require a proper medical examination to notice it." He held it out for him since both of his servos were currently occupied. "Also, it can be removed, in case you want to carry again in the future."

Optimus looked at the little gadget with interest and, finally, hope. "Are you sure Megatron won't notice it? Or, what if he orders Hook to examine me instead?"

Ratchet smiled smugly. "I will talk with that rusty Decepticon. It might take a bit of _encouragement_ from my wrenches, but I'll make sure he doesn't stab our backs." He chuckled softly. "So... would you like to think about it?"

"I think I've already made my decision" Optimus smiled innocently. "I mean, sparklings are nice, but I don't think I'll be able to take care of more than two at a time."

"Alright." Ratchet nodded, taking the inhibitor away. "Your chamber is still trying to reconfigure to its original settings, so we'll have to wait a while until I can-"

His comm. link suddenly went off.

Groaning, he brought a servo to his audio. "What is it?"

[Ratchet!] That voice, it was unmistakeable. [How is the bossbot doing? Is he awake yet?]

It was Bumblebee.

"Yes, he is, and he's fine." He glanced over his shoulder to the mech still cradling his sparklings close to his chest.

[Oh, cool! Can we see him now? We're really excited to meet the little ones!] The joy in his voice almoust poured out of Ratchet's audio like sweet honey.

"No, Bumblebee, he's still recovering" the old medic replied in a stern voice. "And your loud voice is not something I would consider suitable for two recharging sparklings."

[Aw, c'mon, Ratch! We just wanna say hello!] The youngling insisted. [I'll keep my mouth shut, I promise!]

"I said _no_ , you-" a blue waving servo caught his attention and he turned around to look at Optimus.

He was smiling, a _genuine_ smile, and his lips formed a soft "Let them come in".

And how could Ratchet say no to that face.

"Ugh, fine, but if you two younglings start your racket, I'm gonna kick you outta the med bay."

[Yaaay!] Bumblebee cheered loudly, actually making Ratchet flinch a little in pain. [Thanks, Ratchet! We're just outside the med bay!]

"Just keep your damn voice down" the old medic gruffed, already heading towards the door. "Is Megatron around?"

[Uh... no] Bumblebee answered with a bit of hesitation. [I haven't seen him since yesterday.]

"Good." And with that, Ratchet cut the connection and opened the locked med bay doors, allowing Bumblebee, Prowl and Bulkhead to enter. The younglings looked nervous yet excited to finally see their leader and the newest addition to the team, while Prowl looked calm and collected as ever although deep inside he was very worried for Optimus.

The younglings rushed to the only medical berth in the room, quietly greeting their leader before almost melting with the adorable little bundles in his arms.

Prowl was the last one to enter. "Hello, Ratchet" he greeted. "How is Optimus?"

"He's fine," the old medic locked the door once again behind him. "Just tired and..." he hesitated on what word to use next. "A little stressed about... y'know, everything."

The ninjabot nodded slowly. "I see." Then, his visor flashed and it immediately turned to look at the medic. "And Megatron? Has he done anything to him?"

"No, not really. Just insisting on staying during the delivery and freaking the poor kid out." He sighed. "He already picked the bitlets' names, by the way."

"By himself?"

A nod.

"Primus" Prowl looked down at the floor. "How unconsiderate."

"Yeah, fragger said it was Decepticon tradition that Sires got to name the kids." He crossed his arms and accompanied his friend to where the younglings were talking quite animatedly to Optimus. "Ridiculous. But at least Optimus seemed to like them.

"At least." Prowl approached the berth from the side that wasn't occupied and smiled at his leader. "Hello, Optimus. How are you feeling?"

Optimus looked up with dim, tired eyes. A big smile was present on his lips, though. "Hi Prowl. I'm good, thank you. Just a little tired."

The cyber-ninja nodded. He peeked a little on the bundle that was closest to him and saw a little red face with closed optics. He couldn't help but smile at the sheer cuteness of the little creature. How could Megatron be the Sire of such perfection?

"And who is this tiny beauty?" He asked softly as to not disturb the sparkling.

Optimus looked down and smiled even more. "This is Jasper, my daughter." He brought the other sparkling a little bit closer, who was already recharging once again. "And this is Nimbus, my son. They are polar twins, as you can see."

Both of them fell in deep recharge once they were done feeding. How could they sleep so much, he didn't know, but it was a relief that none of Bulkhead or Bumblebee had to see his exposed fuel lines.

"They are beautiful sparklings." Prowl stated with a smile and a nod of approval. "Congratulations."

"Thank you" Optimus' smile softened and he pulled his creations closer to his chest once more.

"They're so small" Bulkhead said in wonder, unconciously keeping his claws tightly pressed to his body. He feared that with the slightest touch of his massive servos, the little ones might break, and he couldn't do that to his friend.

He had seen sparklings before but not this up close, and certainly not newborn ones, so this was something entirely new for him. Even when they had Decepticon coding, he couldn't deny that they were cute.

"Did you choose the names?" Bumblebee asked innocently, very carefully rubbing Nimbus' back.

Optimus' smile faded a little. "No, I... Megatron chose them."

The youngling just let out a quiet "oh". He decided not to push more into the matter, knowing that it would just make Optimus feel uncomfortable. Still, he was expecting that in some way. Megatron was so selfish that it would only be natural if he chose his creations' names without his mate's opinion.

After that, the room fell quiet, with the five old teammates reunited peacefully once again in a calm spectacle of cute innocence. All of them were looking down at the sleeping sparklings, each one with a warm smile on their lips.

It had really been a long time since they last saw sparklings. With the war breaking out, then Vector Sigma used as an alternative way of creating life, and Sentinel practically banning interface as a form of procreation since it was 'disgusting and unnecessarily messy' during his short time as Magnus, there weren't any young sparklings on Cybertron for a while.

Bumblebee remembered his childhood friends back from his home city, the ones he used to play with when he was much younger. He separated from them as he grew up, although he occassionally played with the younger generations around his neighborhood until he left for the Academy. He'd never been properly involved in taking care of them, though.

Bulkhead had several siblings, but him being the youngest meant that he didn't have any contact with younger sparklings. He'd always been very reserved, so he didn't go out and play like his older brothers and he barely had any friends. Either way, there was always a lot to do in the Energon farms, so there was no real time to socialize and have fun. He could say that the bossbot's sparklings were the first ones he'd seen up close.

As for Prowl... he'd had a very lonely life, dedicating it to steal and cause racket in the streets in his years of youth until he met Yoketron. From then on, he'd only dealt with 'bots his age like Jazz, and he'd never considered becoming an instructor as well, for Yoketron had been his one and only master and he doubted he could grow to be as good as him. He'd never considered having any sparklings either, but he was very interested in Optimus' own and determined on helping him to take care of them.

"Don't worry bossbot" Bumblebee said delicately, hugging his leader's shoulders. "We're going to help you with everything you need. I'll babysit for the little ones."

Optimus smiled warmly. Bumblebee had always been very sweet, if a little obnoxious at times. "Thank you, Bumblebee."

"You can count on me too" Bulkhead murmured happily.

"And me." Prowl nodded

"That makes us four." Ratchet said with promise.

Optimus chuckled silently. He passed his servo over his daughter's face, watching her squirm a little before settling down. He did the same to his other sparkling, readjusting the little blanket around his body.

"I know. Thank you, everyone."

* * *

"And I'm afraid that's everything I have to report at the time, my Lord."

Megatron was sitting in his office, listening to Shockwave's report over a video call.

"Thank you, Shockwave. Your information is most appreciated."

The purple mech at the other side of the screen nodded. He noticed his master was in an odd mood today... holding a sinister smile on his lips. It was rare to see Megatron smiling, and most of the time it wasn't anything good. For whatever made him happy, that is.

"Sir, if I may ask, I see that you are in a good mood today. Has your relationship with your mate been good as of lately?"

Megatron's smile faded a little and he sighed. "Well, he is being as stubborn as always. He still refuses to welcome my touch and ignores me most of the time."

Then, his grin reappared. "But, just today he gave birth to my two firstborns." The pride in his voice was unmistakeable.

"Congratulations, Lord Megatron" Shockwave said with a satisfactory tone. "Primus almighty has truly blessed you with a mate and two sparklings of your own to continue with your bloodline."

"Thank you." Megatron nodded his thanks.

"Are you planning to announce this publicly, my Lord?"

Megatron's smile turned into a frown. "That is something I have been doubting about. My sparklings, as the heirs to the Decepticon throne, must receive their proper recognition among the higher ranks and the empire they will be ruling one day. However," his voice suddenly darkened "There is the possibility that Ultra Magnus and his _filthy_ Council might try to use them against me and my leadership."

It disgusted him how Autobots could fall so low as to involve innocent sparklings in political matters like they were no more than objects to deal with. Even if he hadn't been a direct witness, he didn't doubt it had happened in the past. And now that he, the Decepticon leader, had biological children, the threat was more imminent than anything else.

"Hmm..." Shockwave scratched his chin in thought. "That is a certain possibility, my Lord. Although, if I'm not mistaken, Ultra Magnus already knows Optimus Prime is the carrier of your offspring."

Cold fear had tangled in his guts, expecting an outburst or something worse from his leader once he processed what he had just said. However, nothing of the sort came; in fact, he just sighed in disappointment and sank a little in his chair.

"Yes, I know. He saw my mate while he was carrying." He rubbed his brow with his servo, sensing that a bad headache was in store for him. "I guess there is no point on hiding anything."

There was a heavy silence between them. The hum of the working computer matched the faint screeching of Megatron's gears inside his body. The light from the screen fell on his upper body like a soft sheet of silk. The seconds passed as the two mechs felt that the need of each other's company was coming to an end.

"You shouldn't strain yourself so much, Lord Megatron." Shockwave spoke softly. Megatron lifted his gaze to meet his undercover agent's single red optic.

"Your creations may have official recognition among Autobots and yes, they could try to use them against you, but they will have recognition among high Decepticon ranks as well."

"What is your point, Shockwave?" Megatron growled impatiently.

"I am saying that your heirs will be protected. We may not be large in number, but we are in military training and we can easily beat Autobots in battle. I'm sure you know that very well."

Megatron remained quiet, simply staring at his subordinate.

"So do not worry about anything, my Lord. You can safely announce the birth of your sparklings, resting assured that they will have our protection before any inconvenience."

More silence. If Megatron stayed quiet for a long time, that could only mean two things: he was considering whatever he'd just been told, or he was pissed and getting ready to kill someone.

"I... guess you are right."

Luckily it was the first option.

"A small celebration won't hurt anyone" the warlord mused to himself, with his satisfied smile back on his lips. "But I will reserve it for high-ranking officers only. I don't want any potential threats to get near my creations."

"Very well, my Lord." Shockwave nodded. "I trust that you are making the right decision."

"Thank you for your advice, Shockwave." Megatron bowed his helm in respect. "You are my most loyal servant."

They exchanged their farewells and cut the communication shortly after. Megatron leaned back comfortably in his chair as he tried to organize his thoughts on everything that he had to do now that he had an official family.

The first thing was to cut down the time of Optimus' lessons, otherwise he wouldn't have time to look after their children. He'd get him some datapads so he could study while he was at it instead.

Then, the sparklings' room. He hadn't been notified about anything, although the servants were supposed to be arranging it right now. Either way, there were a lot of things he had to get. Blankets, feeding bottles, a cradle, two cribs for when they were older, toys, educational datapads... The list went on and on. But, now that the tension between factions was resolved, he would have plenty of time to restock his home with the necessary things.

His mate would also need to learn how to properly take care of the twins. He knew it could be tricky for a first time carrier, but hiring a nurse wasn't an option. What was the point on having a mate if a different 'bot was going to do the job?

He'd probably put his lessons on pause for the first few weeks, just so he could stick to a schedule, get used to living with sparklings and, most importantly, recover his physical strength.

It was important so he could get back to, ah, _tending to his needs,_ but he also required to have a lot of energy if he'd be constantly trailing after a pair of needy, defenseless beings. And if he was planning to conceive again soon, he'd have to keep his little carrier in good condition.

A few of his soldiers had mentioned the possibility of an escape attempt, figuring that with the sparklings out of the Prime's body and his whole team present to help him, it would be a lot easier to just run away and go undercover in a distant planet.

But Megatron was confident that it wouldn't happen; he wouldn't allow it. A good owner collared their pets so they won't get lost, and that was just what he did the first day he had his little Prime in his arms. Unbeknownst to Optimus, the collar he was forced to wear contained a device that would track his every step and betray his location with its exact coordinates, no matter how far away or in what kind of environment he was.

However, he'd still be forced to punish him if he tried anything, even if he'd rather not do it. Violent, stressful environments were bad for sparklings.

Although he had to admit that he enjoyed punishing his little Prime. There was something in his defiance that made him feel so _powerful_ and _strong_ ; the way he fought and bared his denta at him and yet he still ended up submitting every time, even if it was by force... by _his_ hand's force... it always sent a rush of excitement and satisfaction through his body that he didn't fully understand.

There was nothing more that he wanted to do right now than to spend time with his new family, but his mate was currently resting his body and had to remain under the lowest stress as possible. That meant that he couldn't receive any visits.

Ah, but it was nothing to fuss about. He had a lot of spare time to spend with his children and his beloved Autobot. He waited fifty years to rebuild his broken body and regain the power to lead his soldiers, how bad could it be to wait a solar-cycle or two?

After all, his little Prime wasn't going anywhere.


	10. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter because otherwise it would've been too long and tiring to read. But don't worry, the next one will be better :-)
> 
> -Rolling_girl27

After two full days spent bedridden, Optimus was finally allowed to move around and renew his normal activities. Well, as normal as they could be, since Ratchet told him to take things easy and not strain himself so much.

It had been nice to just lay on a berth and let himself be taken care of, but after hours of doing nothing than recharge and feed sparklings, Optimus began feeling impatient and with the need to move. He didn't like to be idle when there was so much to be done, but Ratchet was crazy if he'd let the young Prime take a pede out of that berth before he was recovered.

In the meantime, he got to spend some precious time alone with his sparklings. He loved cradling them close to his chest, feeling their sparkbeat so close to his plating and their tiny, uncoordinated servos grasping at the seams of his armor.

The little mewls and chirps they made whenever he nuzzled them made his spark flutter in utter joy, and the way they stared up at his face while they fed was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in his entire life. Not even Earth's sunsets could be compared to the glow of their optics.

And to think that these little pieces of Heaven were product of Megatron's barbarism.

Speaking of, Optimus hadn't seen his mate since he gave birth, and it scared him to see him again. Those two days spent around his friends created a bubble of safety and comfort that he wasn't prepared to pop quite yet. And the idea of being alone with Megatron in the same room made him sick to his tanks.

Lucky for him, when he walked back to his room, he wasn't alone.

"Thanks for accompanying me, Prowl." Optimus said from the bottom of his spark. "I can't imagine what would have happened if I encountered Megatron in the hallway alone."

"Don't mention it." The cyber-ninja replied with a small smile. "We swore to protect you and your sparklings, and I intend to stick to my promise until the end of my days."

In his arms, little Jasper mewled and scrunched her little nose in discomfort. She squirmed under the blanket she'd been wrapped in, trying to free her chubby arms and have the freedom to wave them around.

"So stubborn" Prowl tsked, carefully maneuvering the sparkling in his arms to wrap the blanket around her body properly. "I think I already know who did she take after." He mused aloud, giving Optimus a glance and a friendly smirk.

The young Prime chuckled in sympathy. Looking down, Nimbus was sleeping soundly, just like he had done since he was born. It worried his carrier greatly; aside from squirming, feeding and snuggling with him, the little sparkling barely moved. Ratchet had stated it was normal, since sparklings couldn't retain the same amount of energy and fuel as adult 'bots and so their recharge cycles were longer.

Jasper, for her part, was very active. She spent most of the time wide awake, demanding her carrier's attention by mewling, kicking and squirming, and occassionally wailing if she felt particularly unruly. She didn't recharge that much and was constantly crying for energon, which left her poor, inexperienced carrier exhausted.

Both twins were fairly similar in appearance, but they were like water and oil when it came to personality. It only made Optimus the more excited to watch them grow and see what would they become in the future.

Optimus and Prowl chatted quietly all the way from the med bay to the master berthroom, luckily only encountering servants who congratulated the new carrier and without any sight of Megatron so far.

After some time walking they finally reached the berthroom. Just when the Prime was about to enter, Bumblebee popped up at the door from inside the room, like he was going to exit. His optics, when they were lain on his leader's face, grew wide like plates.

"Ah, b-bossbot!" The youngster exclaimed, looking uneasy- although nervous fitted more his current expression.

"I, uh... I can explain! I wasn't stealing or spying or anything!" He showed his servos to prove his innocence."We were just, uh... preparing some, um... R-RATCHET!"

The yellow mech suddenly yelled over his shoulder and scurried back into the room. Optimus gave Prowl a confused glance, but the ninjabot didn't express any emotion. Both mechs stepped inside and went into the part of the room were some noise could be heard, and it was behind a door located in front of the berth and next to the right wall.

The Prime was about to enter when Bumblebee showed up again. "Eek! No peeking!"

He jumped and placed his servos over the blue and red mech's optics, being careful not to crush the sleeping sparkling or accidentaly hurt the older mech. "Bumblebee, what-"

"Nuh-uh! Don't say anything! It's supposed to be a surprise!"

Optimus sighed in slight annoyance but did as he was told. He stood silently in front of the door with his optics covered, trying to figure out what was going on in the room next door.

There were a few seconds of clanging and bumping noises, then some hushed conversations, giggles and grumbles until Bumblebee told him to carefully start walking.

Optimus gave unsure steps; with a sparkling in his arms, he couldn't feel his way so he wouldn't trip, and honestly, Bumblebee being his guide wasn't _exactly_ comforting either.

"Okay... you're doing good... now stop!"

Optimus stood up to his full height and let the youngling's servos fall from his face.

"Ta-daaa!!!"

His blue optics widened and his mouth gaped from the sight he was immediately greeted with.

He was standing before a small, circular room, with soft lavender-painted walls and royal purple color adorning the carpet on the floor as well as the curtains covering the large, floor-to-ceiling windows.

In the middle of it were two cribs made of dark wood (from a nearby organic colony, he guessed) with tiny Autobot and Decepticon insignias carved at each side. Their padding looked as soft as ever and on top of them, two mobiles made of colorful crystals hung from the ceiling.

Around there room were various pieces of furniture: a rocking chair, a couch, two cabinets and at least two shelves, all of them made of the same type of wood as the cribs and full of miscellaneous objects on top.

Finally, there were various paintings mounted on the walls, some of which he identified as Bulkhead's works. The one that caught his attention the most was a portrait of him and the rest of his team; a copy from the one the young mech had painted back on Earth.

Optimus was so caught up with the marvellous look of the sparklings' room that he actually forgot to speak. The rest of his team remained in silence, waiting for any reaction the blue and red mech might have, but seeing that he was speechless, Bumblebee decided to speak first.

"So... do you like it?"

The Prime then remembered where he was and slowly closed his gaping lips to form a bright smile. He turned around to inspect the rest of the walls that were behind him, until he finally settled in front of his team and said,

"...I _love_ it!"

Everyone gave a heavy sigh of relief, not even noticing that they'd held their breaths in anticipation until now. The youngsters beamed while Ratchet and Prowl just smiled; there was no need to be so loud as the others.

"I'm very glad you liked it, bossbot!" Bulkhead said happily, bringing his digits together. "I was worried that we might have made it too Decepticon-y, but I'm glad you like it!"

"It's perfect" Optimus breathed, now walking around to get a better look at everything. "...and you did it all by yourselves?"

"Mainly, but of course we got a little push from the Magnus." Ratched said with a smirk.

"Do you like the colors, bossbot?" Bumblebee asked, bursting with excitement. If he had a tail, Optimus was sure he'd be wagging it like crazy. "I suggested something brighter and flashier, but the old 'bots didn't like my idea. So we settled with different shades of purple!"

Optimus nodded. "I do, Bumblebee. They're lovely." He then walked to one of the cabinets and spotted a lot of glowing energon cubes on it, some of a lighter shade of pink than others. "And what is this?"

"I packed you with everything you need for the little ones." Ratchet said proudly, approaching the young mech and placing a servo on his shoulder. "Energon cubes- both for you and the sparklings, blankets, cleaning cloths, a few pacifiers, sparkling-safe wax and solvent and a basic medical kit." He turned to look at the younger mech and said, "I'm sure this'll be enough to get you started."

The young Prime's optics widened. It all looked like a huge bunch of stuff, and Ratchet said it was enough to get him _started_? He knew sparklings were needy, but do they were _this_ much?

Ratchet laughed at his expression. "Don't worry kiddo, I'll explain everything later. Now, pass me the sparkling; it'll be easier for you to check out the rest."

Optimus smiled in gratitude and gently placed his son on the older mech's arms, lightly rubbing his back before he turned around kept exploring.

He gave a few steps forward until he spotted something at the other end of the room that he didn't see the first time. Walking closer he noticed it was some kind of chest, with a golden lock and beautiful carvings on its wood. Upon opening it he was met with a full selection of sparkling toys, from plushies to scale figures and some others he'd seen on Earth. One thing was clear with this: his twins would _never_ get bored.

"Ah, those were Bulk's and my idea!" Bumblebee claimed happily. "We only chose the coolest toys we could find, so you can be sure that the little ones will have _lots_ of fun!" He winked and gave a thumbs up, proud of his and his friend's accomplishment.

"And I made sure they were safe for their age" Bulkhead said softly. "So you can be sure as well that there's nothing dangerous in there."

"You young 'bots just want to spoil my sparklings, don't you?" Optimus chuckled. He closed the chest and stood up, going to the last piece of furniture he hadn't seen yet: the second cabinet.

The first thing he saw was a small, navy blue box resting on its surface. It had what seemed to be a crank on one of its sides, but what was it's purpose, Optimus didn't know.

"That is a music box." Prowl spoke, sensing his friend's confusion. "I took the idea from a toy Sari once showed me. She said that humans use it to put their young to sleep, so I thought it would be a perfect gift and crafted one myself."

He pointed to the little crank and said, "If you turn this crank, music will play from inside the box."

Optimus blinked before he decided to try it. He twisted the crank three, four times and as soon as he released it a very pleasant melody began playing from its inside, just like Prowl had said. Its notes sounded very calm and innocent, like an auditive manifestation of a sparkling's pure sparkbeat.

And to think that Prowl crafted this object by _himself_ , just for him, made tears of joy start to well on his optics. A warm feeling began bubbling in his belly, but it wasn't unpleasant; in fact, it only brought more joy to the one he already had stored in his spark.

"I... thank you, for all of this. I couldn't ask for anything better." Optimus managed to say between tears and small sobs, holding the music box that was still playing sweet notes close to his chest.

"We're just happy we could make _you_ happy" Bulkhead said sweetly. "...and your sparklings, of course."

Optimus wiped a tear from his right optic. This were the first tears he'd shed that weren't because of pain or misery, but because of _joy_. He wasn't one to get too emotional with little things like this, but he supposed it was the emotional trauma that made him more sensitive.

"Aw, c'mon kid, dry up those tears." Ratchet approached him and gave a friendly pat to his back. "There's nothin' to cry about. And don't think of it as a favor; it's a present that the younglings decided to give you..." He smirked, "...with a little expert hand, of course."

"I'm... sorry" Optimus sobbed, wiping his tears. "I'm just... _really_ happy to be here with you."

Bulkhead blushed and scratched his neck, Bumblebee beamed while Prowl simply smiled.

"We are all very glad to be with you, Prime."

"Yeah! You bet we do!"

"Only the best for you, bossbot!"

Ratchet let out a good-hearted laugh. "I guess I can agree with all of them this time. But let's not get carried off," he began guiding the younger mech back to the door, "there're still a few things for you to look at."

* * *

Jasper mewled and squirmed in her new cradle as she clung to the plushie she'd been given, a mini copy of a cyber-cat in silver and blue fur with two shiny golden beads for its eyes.

The team of Autobots had also prepared a pair of cradles aside from the cribs since Ratchet had stated that the sparklings were still far too small to sleep in them and that cradles were easier to move around the room should their carrier desire to settle them somewhere else.

Optimus immediately tucked Nimbus in for a nap, and the mechling didn't even stir as he was placed on the cool, soft padding and a blanket was pulled over his tiny frame. The young carrier had tucked Jasper in too, in hopes that she would recharge at least for a bit, but it was useless. She was interested in everything around her except recharging.

But at least she wasn't crying, so he'd given her a toy and let her be for the moment.

For his part, Optimus asked his servants to bring him a cup of energon infusion to drink while he enjoyed a nice chat with his friends.

"I heard Megatron is organizing a party to celebrate his firstborn's birth." Prowl commented from his spot on the couch in front of the berth.

The Prime's audial fins perked up in attention. "A party? I wasn't aware Decepticons were into those."

Ratchet snorted. "They are a warrior race, so parties are only reserved for the highest classes. They're rare events." He paused to take a gulp from his energon cube and continued. "But of course he would want to brag about his heirs to all of Cybertron, that smug glitch."

He immediately winced at his accidental curse word and turned to look at Jasper to see if she'd heard him. But luckily, her attention wasn't on him, so there was no risk of her learning any bad words at such a young age.

"He never told me anything..." Optimus mused, feeling hurt for a moment. But it quickly vanished; it was not the first time his opinion wasn't taken into consideration and it wouldn't be the last.

"I knew because I've seen service 'bots going around the manor with decorations and barrels of high-grade" Bumblebee commented, distractedly dangling a rust stick over Jasper's cradle. "Though I'm not sure how many 'bots are planning to come."

"Do you think I can invite Ultra Magnus and the others?" Optimus openly asked. "I miss him, and I could really use one of his motivational speeches right now." He rested his chin on his palm with his optics unfocused, droopy with homesickness.

"I'm sure you can." Ratchet replied simply, taking another large gulp from his cube. "They're your sparklings too, so the party is also yours. There's no reason for you to not invite whoever you want."

"But Megatron-"

"Screw that afthole!" The old medic waved his servo dismissingly. "He's never listened to you nor cared about what you want or not, so why would you do it?"

Optimus remained silent, thinking.

"I agree with Ratchet." Prowl nodded. "If he's never asked for permission for anything, not even before touching your body, then I don't believe there's a reason to ask him for something as simple as inviting your comrades to _your_ sparklings' celebration."

"Yeah, bossbot! Just dump him!" Bumblebee beamed. "N-Not literally because it would ruin Cybertron's peace, but you get my point! Go and do what you want! We'll support you _so_ hard!"

"Why don't you write the invitation right now?" Bulkhead suggested and immediately slid him a blank datapad. "I can help with the design, if you want!"

Optimus stared at the small device for a moment. Would it really be safe to invite them? He didn't want to get _punished_ for defying Megatron once again, but at the same time, he dearly missed his fellow Autobots and knew that this might be a single opportunity.

"I..." Optimus hovered his fingers over the blank screen for a few moments. "...guess you're right."

He took the datapad confidently and started typing away.

Ratchet smirked and mumbled a 'That's what I thought'; Bumblebee cheered, Bulkhead clapped his big servos and Prowl simply smiled and nodded his approval.

"Just don't invite Sentinel" Bumblebee said with a grimace. "We don't want him to oil himself in front of all the 'Cons. That would _ruin_ the party."

"And the carpet." Bulkhead added.

Optimus gave the yellow mech a side look. "I can't invite the Elite Guard without inviting Sentinel, Bumblebee. He's Ultra Magnus' Second in Command."

"Maybe you can make an exception!" The youngster pointed out with hope. "Either way, I think he's too scared of 'Cons to _actually_ agree to come all the way from his clean and fancy office to a city full of scary warframes."

"We'll see." Optimus didn't take off his optics from the datapad as he spoke. "In the meantime, let's set the invitation for Ultra Magnus, Jazz, Sentinel, Perceptor and Alpha Trion." He finished typing the information and turned the device over so his friends could see. "What do you think?"

Everyone leaned in close and quickly passed their optics over the text, nodding their agreement.

"Looks good. Just have to confirm the date and it'll be ready to be sent." Ratchet commented.

"The colors are pretty."

"I think it's too boring."

"It's directed to the Autobot Commander, Bumblebee, so it has to be _formal_." Prowl chided. "Or in case you don't understand that, then it has to be _boring_."

Bumblebee humphed and gave his back to the ninjabot in that immature way he'd always done. It only made Prowl roll his optics though; it wasn't that big of an offense to actually piss him off.

"Then I think I'll have to ask Megatron." Optimus sighed, feeling a rush of cold in his energon lines as he set the datapad on the nightstand, saving rhe invitation template for the meantime. He wondered if his mate would get suspicious, or if he'd get angry if he refused to tell him the reason for his question, or if it would piss him off enough to guarantee a beating or a rape. It would just be best to think of an excuse before asking.

Perhaps it was better to ask a servant. They would never lie to their masters and there was no doubt they knew about the celebration; otherwise there'd be no way for them to prepare the food, drinks and decorations in time.

"Don't worry, kid" Ratchet placed a servo on his shoulder, as if he'd just heard what he was thinking. "Everything will be fine."

"We are here to support you" Prowl moved from the couch to the free spot next to Optimus, placing a gentle servo on his knee. "There's nothing you should be afraid of. Your main focus are your sparklings-"

His words were cut odd when Jasper suddenly hiccuped and started crying, waking up her younger brother who whimpered and soon after followed his sister's example. In less than two minutes Optimus had two bawling sparklings, awaiting to be taken care of impatiently.

"Oh no" Optimus exclaimed as he rushed over to the little cradles.

"...I guess that proves my point." Prowl finished his interrupted sentence.

Optimus took both sparklings in his arms and fumbled a lot to open his chestplates, but after a while he managed to expose both of his fuel lines. He brought Jasper's helm closer to one and she immediately latched onto it, sucking greedily.

He repeated the process with his other sparkling, Nimbus, but he only sniffed the nub a couple times before turning his helm away, his face scrunched up and his crying still at the top of his delicate vocalizer.

Optimus gave a heavy sigh. "What am I going to do with you..."


End file.
